Krater with relief (Abraham sacrifying Isaac)

Classification

krater ; relief decorated vessel

Culture

Roman

Dimensions

height: 26.5 cm; width: 21 cm

Date

late 4th century A.D.

Period

from Jovian to Theodosius (363–395)

Material

marble ; marble analysis

Iconography

Abraham ; Isaac ; knife ; tunic ; mantle ; offering scene

Findspot

Rome (city)

Present location

Budapest, Museum of Fine Arts, Collection of Classical Antiquities

Provenance

Arndt, Paul (1865–1937)

Inventory

4840

Hyp-5323

References

Severin, in BullMusHong 36 (1971)

The fragment of a marble krater depicts a biblical scene: Abraham sacrifices his son, Isaac.

Marble analyses conducted by Danielle Decrouez (Geneva, Museum of Natural History) and Karl Ramseyer (University of Bern, Institute of Geological Sciences) have shown that the krater was made of white marble of unknown origin. Click here for the detailed results.

Trails

Religious diversity in the Roman Empire

This record is subject to revision due to ongoing research.