"Roman Marble Fragment : Hand Holding A Patera"
Roman marble fragment : hand holding a patera.Rome, 3rd century.
76 x 51 mm.
97.50 g.
Modern wooden base.
The most common liturgical gesture is the libation, which consists of pouring "on the ground, or on an altar, or on a sacred stone, all or part of the contents of a phiale (or, in Latin, a patera) containing wine, milk, water, or even oil".
(Veyne Paul. "Images of divinities holding a phiale or patera". In: Mètis. Anthropologie des mondes grecs anciens, vol. 5, n°1-2, 1990. pp. 17-30.)
Good quality marble, with fine crystals.
Provenance:
Private collection, south of France, 1980s.
Le Magazine de PROANTIC
TRÉSORS Magazine
Rivista Artiquariato