Garland Sarcophagus
sculptor
Unknown
Dateabout 250
Place MadeAnatolia, Ancient & Byzantine World-Asia
MediumPossibly Phrygian marble
Dimensions44.1 x 122.6 x 55.2 cm (17 3/8 x 48 1/4 x 21 3/4 in.)
ClassificationsFunerary Containers
Credit LineIsabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Boston
Accession numberS5c3
Status
Not on viewWeb CommentaryInside the Courtyard is perhaps the most poignant piece of funeral sculpture in the collection: a child's sarcophagus of about CE 250, decorated with garlands, which many interpret as a nod to Isabella's own son, Jackie, who died in early childhood. It stands at the very center of the Courtyard, at the foot of the Medusa mosaic. By positioning this small sarcophagus, the Farnese Sarcophagus, and the Islamic tombstone in and around the garden of the Courtyard, Gardner echoed the nineteenth-century invention of landscaped cemeteries with elaborately carved monuments and mausoleums that invoke ancient architectural styles.
Id730499
Last Updated8/14/24
EmbARK ObjectID11261
Source ID503
