Object Image

Marble sarcophagus with the Triumph of Dionysos and the Seasons

This highly ornate and extremely well-preserved Roman marble sarcophagus came to the Metropolitan Museum from the collection of the Dukes of Beaufort and was formerly displayed in their country seat, Badminton House in Gloucestershire, England. An inscription on the unfinished back of the sarcophagus records that it was installed there in 1733. In contrast to the rough and unsightly back, the sides and front of the sarcophagus are decorated with forty human and animal figures carved in high relief. The central figure is that of the god Dionysos seated on a panther, but he is somewhat overshadowed by four larger standing figures who represent the four Seasons (from left to right, Winter, Spring,...
Ca. A.D. 260–270
Marble
86.4 x 215.9 x 92.1 cm
55.11.5
Image and text © Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2018

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The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Permanent collection

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