Roman
Rectangular Cinerary Chest, 27 BCE - 81 CE
Pentelic marble, 16.5 x 26.7 x 21.6 cm (6 1/2 x 10 1/2 x 8 1/2 in.)
This white marble rectangular Roman Chest is pictured in a three-quarter view with the longer side of the chest closest to us. On the long front panel, a blank inscription plate occupies the top center. Two long-tailed dolphins carved in bas relief, one on each side, arch their backs around the sides of the inscription plate. The dolphins’ heads, with mouths full of sharp teeth, almost meet in the center below the plate. The short side of the chest has a single large bas relief of what appears to be a shell. On the top of the box, the roughly carved inside of the box is just visible.
Blue Room
Commentary
Isabella Stewart Gardner kept meticulous records of many of her acquisitions. In keeping with this legacy, object information is continually being reviewed, updated, and enriched in order to give greater access to the collection.