Vase Antonine *EXPO

Capture the timeless elegance of ancient Rome with the “Vase Antonine.”

This masterpiece, standing at W. 58 cm, D. 49 cm, and H. 48 cm, boasts a stunning marble finish. Inspired by Roman artistry, it features strigilated patterns and serpentine handles that symbolize guardianship over sacred spaces. While it may have been used for funerary purposes, its true function remains a mystery. Regardless, this exquisite piece, dating back to the Antonine period, brings the mystique and artistry of ancient times into your modern space.

HISTORIC PROVENANCE

The Vase Antonine takes its design inspiration from a marble vase with handles created from intertwined serpents (2nd half of the 2nd century A.D.) at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. The Roman original is recognised as one of the finest and best-preserved examples of these types of vessels with strigilated, or scaped, S-shaped reliefs carved across the body. The serpents, with their mouths seemingly biting the rim, were associated with funerals as well as chthonian, or underworld, powers, and were regarded by the Greeks and Romans as guardians of scared places, houses, and tombs. However, in the absence of a funerary inscription, it’s impossible to determine whether this vase was originally intended as an ash urn or created for purely decorative use. Our reinterpretation has been crafted with a marble finish.