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Late Roman / Early Christian, ca. 4th to 5th century CE. Finely carved in low to high relief – a large section of a marble sarcophagus – the curved interior edge suggesting it was located at the corner of a sarcophagus – depicting Christ as the Good Shepherd, with a lamb around his shoulders, the furry coat finely delineated. In addition to possessing an impressive ability to render flesh from stone, the sculptor of this piece was skilled in communicating naturalism in Jesus’ facial features – those generously lidded, almond-shaped eyes, apple cheeks, full lips, and that fleshy nose – framed by a wavy coiffure with curly locks. To the left is an elegantly detailed entablature with repeated curvilinear motifs below demarcated concave and convex bands. Size: 14.875″ W x 8.375″ H (37.8 cm x 21.3 cm); 13.75″ H (34.9 cm) on included custom stand.
The image of the Good Shepherd is the most popular of the symbolic representations of Christ depicted in early Christian art in the Catacombs of Rome [i.e. the Good Shepherd, ca. 300-350 CE at the Catacombs of Domitilla, Rome]; these occurred before it was possible to make Christian imagery explicit. Christ is generally shown as a young man carrying a lamb round his neck as we see in this example, and this imagery was adopted from the much older pagan Hermes – god’s messenger – or kriophoros – a ram bearer figure used for the sacred sacrifice of rams – and later evolved into the Good Shepherd who watches over his flock. [See the Late Roman version of the Kriophoros of Kalamis (also Calamis) in the Museo Barracco, Rome.]
Sarcophagi became more popular at the beginning of the 2nd century CE when burial grew more favorable than cremation. Carved from stone, in this case marble, the panels were adorned with high and low relief mythological scenes, and by the 2nd century, it was also common to include a portrait of the deceased in a heroic guise. A rare and beauteous piece from ancient Rome!
See another marble sarcophagus fragment with Good Shepherd, ca. early 4th century CE at the Walters Art Museum – https://art.thewalters.org/detail/27994/sarcophagus-fragment-with-the-good-shepherd/
See a Hermes Terracotta Statuette known as “Hermes Criophore” from Thebes in Attica, ca. 500 to 450 BCE at the Louvre – https://i.pinimg.com/564x/1a/66/43/1a6643f0ae0fc6d75746f3939fae658e.jpg
Condition: A section from a larger sarcophagus. Losses/abrasions/nicks to edges and high pointed areas as shown. There is a trace of pale green pigment at the upper left of the entablature.
Provenance: private East Coast, USA collection
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