Provenance:
Sotheby's, London, Antiquities, 12-13 December 1983, Lot 303.
Galerie Nefer, Zurich, where acquired by the present owner, 7 June 1984.

Crafted in the form of a lidded basket, this Roman marble cinerarium is an emblem of ancient elegance. The design features a scrolling acanthus on the body, detailed leaves on the lid, two foliate handles, and the image of a young sprout inside a krater, reminiscent of the mythic 'Gardens of Adonis' planted during the Adonia Festival, where such foliage symbolized rebirth and beauty.