Art Institute of Chicago
Cinerary Urn of Plautia Hesperis
Roman
- Date
- 1st century
- Medium
- Marble
- Culture
- Italy
- Department
- Arts of Greece, Rome, and Byzantium
- Institution
- Art Institute of Chicago
Prior to A.D. 100, the Romans typically cremated their dead and placed the ashes and remaining bones in urns and ossuaries (containers used to hold skeletal remains). The front of this urn is adorned with heart-shaped ivy leaves and an inscription that identifies the deceased, a young woman named Plautia Hesperis. Much like modern headstones, the inscription indicates the length of her life (“Lived 16 years”). The lid is adorned with simple rosettes at the corners, while an eagle, thought by the Romans to carry the deceased’s soul into the realm of the gods, is perched at its center.
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Linked open data
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- Object type
- AAT300234126
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