Existing comment:
Roman
Asiatic Sarcophagus, 3rd century AD
The figures on this sarcophagus are all erotes, winged boys who take their name from the god Eros. In the center of one long side and on a short side a drunken Eros collapses into the arms of a companion, a common way of showing Dionysos, the god of wine. On the second short side, two erotes wrestle while a third holds a palm branch for the victor.
The significance in antiquity of the scenes on this sarcophagus may have varied from viewer to viewer. Some may have seen in Dionysiac celebration the promise of a blissful afterlife, while others may have been reminded of feasts held at tombs or imagery that adorned many homes and public spaces.
Roman Sarcophagi:
The word sarcophagus (from Greek, meaning "flesh eater") describes a lidded chest used for the burial of the dead. Prior to the 2nd century, Romans rarely used sarcophagi, preferring to cremate their dead and place the ashes in urns or ossuaries (containers for bones). The use of sarcophagi continued into the Christian period, and their stylistic development provides a key to understanding the history of Roman art.
Sarcophagi were used throughout the empire, but most examples were produced and used in and around the city of Rome. These "western sarcophagi" were usually placed in niches inside closed tombs, so they are usually decorated on only one long side. Both "Attic sarcophagi" (produced in Athens) and "Asiatic sarcophagi" (produced in Asia Minor) were displayed in the open air as free-standing monuments and are carved on all four sides. Both forms frequently have steeply gabled lids, but Asiatic sarcophagi are distinguished by their architectural form -- such as the columns in the corners of VMFA's example.
Sarcophagi were left plain or decorated in a variety of ways, ranging from simple garlands to complex multifigural designs. Mythological subjects are most common, especially scenes with Dionysos, but depictions of daily life as well as portraits also occur. The interpretation of this subject matter has been much debated: some argue that it refers to a belief in an afterlife, while others see no special significance in the imagery as it so closely resembles the decoration of public and private spaces used by the living. |