Roman Holy Land Carved Limestone Ossuary w/ Lid

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Exceptional Day 1: Antiquities & Asian Art

By Artemis Gallery

Sep 26, 2019

Set Reminder 2019-09-26 10:00:00 2019-09-26 10:00:00 America/New_York Bidsquare Bidsquare : Exceptional Day 1: Antiquities & Asian Art https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/artemis-gallery/exceptional-day-1-antiquities-asian-art-4437
Day 1 of an important 2-day auction featuring exceptional, museum-worthy examples of Egyptian, Greek, Etruscan, Roman, Viking, Russian, Near Eastern, as well as Asian Art from China, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, Burma and India. Artemis Gallery info@artemisgallery.com

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• Lot Description
  Roman, Holy Land, ca. 1st century BCE to 1st century CE. A carved limestone ossuary with incised floral, geometric, and architectural motifs. Its lid is undecorated, made of a simple carved slab of limestone. The exterior has been painted an earthy red color, with the motifs incised into the surface of one long side so that they are the natural creamy white color of the limestone against the red foreground. The interior of the box also has some lightly painted red pigment in X-forms on its sides. Size: 6.95" L x 17.4" W x 8.05" H (17.7 cm x 44.2 cm x 20.4 cm)
  
  For about two centuries prior to the Roman destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem, Jewish people in the Roman Holy Land practiced ossilegium, a secondary burial in a box like this one. In the first stage of burial, the body was placed into a pit or, in the case of more elite members of society, into a niche or bench in a tomb. A year later, when the soft tissue had decomposed, family members collected the deceased and placed their bones into an ossuary like this one. This was placed into a niche in the family tomb. This was an important event in the family, and also a religious act, designed to ensure the purification of the deceased's soul. The decorative motifs on the body may be wishes for rebirth, but may also have been inspired by the architecture of the Temple.
  
  A similar example without a lid sold at Christie's in 2014 for $10,625: https://www.christies.com/lotfinder/Lot/an-early-jewish-limestone-ossuary-roman-period-5800623-details.aspx
  
  Provenance: private Boulder, Colorado collection; ex-private Houston, Texas, USA collection
  
  All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.
  
  A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.
  
  We ship worldwide and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience.
  
  #148576

  Condition

  Lid is repaired from two pieces and has had two thin modern strips added to its interior to stabilize the repair. These are not visible unless the box is open. Exterior is in nice condition, with a few small chips and nicks commensurate with age. Motifs are in good condition and generally very clear. Light encrustation on surface, notably on the upper part of the lid.
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