A beautiful marble urn inscribed for Marcus Antonius Gemellus
1st – 2nd century AD; alt. cm 48; A white marble cinerary urn, with a lid and rich decoration executed in high relief. Two eagles and two griffins are depicted on the lid of the urn, which is pediment-shaped. Between the griffins is a tripod with leonine paws and upon which sits a fluted cauldron. On the front of the urn is a panel with an inscription, from Marco Antonio Proculo, in memory of his deceased father, Marco Antonio Gemella, whose ashes are within:

Diis / Manibus / M(arci) Antoni / Gemelli / M(arcus) Antonius / Proculus filius / patri bene / merenti.

On either side of the panel are pairs of eagles and sphinxes, the centre of the lower register meanwhile is adorned with a shell, between two dolphins and two candle holders which sit in each corner. The shape of the urn and its cover, the decoration and paleographic characteristics would suggest that it dates from between the end of the 1st and first half of the 2nd century AD.

PROVENANCE:
Ex ACR Auctions 17 (London, 30 June 2015), lot 67; formerly in an European collection formed in the 1980s.