Urn (cinerarium)

Description

Urn (cinerarium) for the ashes of Aelia Postumia. The Latin inscription may be translated > To the deified dead... Aelia Postumia, born a slave, made it for herself and her very dear, deserving husband, with whom she lived for twenty-three years'. The lettering is roughly cut but the decoration is finely carved. The high quality of this and other urns shown here demonstrates that former slaves were sometimes able to go to considerable expense in providing funerary monuments for members of their families. Made in Italy about AD 25-50 Found in Italy Marble (Luna) Given by J. Disney. GR.56.1850 https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/65527