A ROMAN MARBLE CHILD'S FUNERARY ALTAR TO LUCIUS OTACILIUS CELSUS, of rectangular gabled form, carved in high relief on three sides. At each corner is a ram's head with curled horns; between each is a garland of laurel leaves and berries which is tied to the rams' horns by curling fillets. At each lower corner at the front is a seated griffin(?) while at each back corner is a swan which pecks at the garland. On each side above the garland is a bird with a berry in its mouth surmounted on the left side by an oinochoe and on the right side by a petalled rosette within a circular border. On the front of the altar below the garland is another bird which pulls at the fillet. Above is a winged Gorgoneion and an inscription panel with five lines of text. Above, the altar is gabled with a pediment flanked by scrolls, the face of the pediment is carved with a laurel wreath tied with a fillet and the scrolls are carved with rosettes. The back of the altar is chiselled. The dedicatory inscription reads: | Christie's

Lot 90

THE PROPERTY OF CALDAY GRANGE GRAMMAR SCHOOL

A ROMAN MARBLE CHILD'S FUNERARY ALTAR TO LUCIUS OTACILIUS CELSUS, of rectangular gabled form, carved in high relief on three sides. At each corner is a ram's head with curled horns; between each is a garland of laurel leaves and berries which is tied to the rams' horns by curling fillets. At each lower corner at the front is a seated griffin(?) while at each back corner is a swan which pecks at the garland. On each side above the garland is a bird with a berry in its mouth surmounted on the left side by an oinochoe and on the right side by a petalled rosette within a circular border. On the front of the altar below the garland is another bird which pulls at the fillet. Above is a winged Gorgoneion and an inscription panel with five lines of text. Above, the altar is gabled with a pediment flanked by scrolls, the face of the pediment is carved with a laurel wreath tied with a fillet and the scrolls are carved with rosettes. The back of the altar is chiselled. The dedicatory inscription reads:

Details

A ROMAN MARBLE CHILD'S FUNERARY ALTAR TO LUCIUS OTACILIUS CELSUS, of rectangular gabled form, carved in high relief on three sides. At each corner is a ram's head with curled horns; between each is a garland of laurel leaves and berries which is tied to the rams' horns by curling fillets. At each lower corner at the front is a seated griffin(?) while at each back corner is a swan which pecks at the garland. On each side above the garland is a bird with a berry in its mouth surmounted on the left side by an oinochoe and on the right side by a petalled rosette within a circular border. On the front of the altar below the garland is another bird which pulls at the fillet. Above is a winged Gorgoneion and an inscription panel with five lines of text. Above, the altar is gabled with a pediment flanked by scrolls, the face of the pediment is carved with a laurel wreath tied with a fillet and the scrolls are carved with rosettes. The back of the altar is chiselled. The dedicatory inscription reads:

DIS.MANIBUS
L.OTACILIO
L.F.CELSO
VIXIT
DIEBVS.XXIIII

"To the spirits of the deceased Lucius Otacilius Celsus, son of Lucius, who lived for twenty-four days"

second half of 1st Century A.D.
21 1/8in. (53.5cm.) high, 11¾in. (29.9cm.) wide, 10½in. (26.7cm.) deep

Lot Essay

Cf. L. Budde and R. Nicholls, A Catalogue of the Greek and Roman Sculpture in the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge, Cambridge, 1964, p. 89, pl. 48, no. 143; C. C. Vermeule et al, Sculpture in the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Boston, 1977, pp. 36 and 40-41, nos. 47-48 and 55

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