Fragment of a sarcophagus with the baptism of Christ and banquet scene

Photogallery

Fragment of a sarcophagus with the baptism of Christ and banquet scene
Fragment of a sarcophagus with the baptism of Christ and banquet scene
"Strigilated" sarcophagi

This fragment, displayed in the Chiaramonti Museum until 1896, was part of the lid of a Christian sarcophagus dating from the late third century; in its current state it depicts two distinct scenes. On the left, the baptism of Christ as a child can be seen; the Baptist is bearded and covered with a simple cloak, and sprinkles the infant with the waters of the Jordan. On the right, there is a banquet scene in an otherworldly setting, with a servant and a number of diners in various positions, seated around a semicircular table, with glasses, fish and baskets of bread. The presence of a shrub and a sundial may indicate a bucolic context and the eternal passage of time in the Hereafter, while the fish and the baskets of bread, apparently seven in number, may be a reference to the miraculous multiplication of the loaves and fishes performed by Jesus according to the Gospel story.