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Roman funerary urn (cinerarium) with a name-plate in the form of a maltese cross and a separate lid.

Luna marble

Height: 25cm
Height (excluding lid): 17.5cm
Width (lid): 30.5cm
Length (lid): 25cm

Museum number: M376

Vermeule catalogue number: Vermeule 327help-vermeule-catalogue-number

On display: Catacombs
All spaces are in No. 13 Lincoln's Inn Fields unless identified as in No. 12, Soane's first house. For tours https://www.soane.org/your-visit

Curatorial note

The front is in the form of a large Maltese cross name plate of broad fillet moulding and recessed lines within a similar outside moulding; there are recessed panels in the corners. It could be described as rather more a tabula ansata than a Maltese cross: there are several other examples of that, see below. The lid has an undecorated pediment between stylised acanthus(?) antefixae.

Inscribed: D M
P· CVRVIO
CRESCENTINO
CONIVGI B· M

For a similar type of moulding in the shape of a Maltese Cross enframing the inscription area, compare Jones, Cap., p.97, no.18, pl.33, which is here, however, a circular urn. For other urnes with an inscription panel in the form of a tabula ansata covering the whole front, F. Sinn, Römische Marmorurnen, No. 157, p. 131., no. 283, pl. 50 d; No. 303, pl. 53 c; 714, pl. 104 f (letzte allerdings erst 4. Jh. n. Chr.) or round ones No 638, pl. 94 d, no. 651, pl. 95 e, no. 654 pl. 95 f.

Provenance help-art-provenance

Unrecorded.


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