Marble Cinerary Urn of a Tree Stump with Leaves and Grapes in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, October 2023

Title: Marble cinerary urn in the form of a tree stump with leaves and grapes

Period: Early Imperial

Date: ca. 1st century CE

Culture: Roman

Medium: Marble

Dimensions: Height: 11 1/4 × 12 1/4 in., 52.5 lb. (28.6 × 31.1 cm, 23.8 kg)

Classification: Stone Sculpture

Credit Line: Gift of John J. Medveckis, in honor of Emily Rafferty, and in celebration of the Museum's 150th Anniversary, 2021

Accession Number: 2021.19.1

Carved to imitate a tree stump with a cut-off branch on one side and a leafy grape vine climbing the other, this cinerary urn references the wine-god Dionysus and his victory over death. Early Imperial Roman urns frequently imitate other forms and materials. The high relief of the detached branch, leaves, and fruit creates an interplay of light and shade against the textured background of bark.

Text from: www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/257866