Marble strigilated vase with snake handles

myminifactory

This exquisite marble vase with serpentine handles features two bearded snakes coiled on either side of the broad shoulder, their flat heads stretched forward across the deep concavity of the neck to bite the projecting rim. The elongated S-shaped channels carved into the body are a stunning example of Roman relief decoration, popularized in the second half of the second century and third century AD. As guardians of sacred places, houses, and tombs, snakes were associated with chthonian powers and linked to the earth. The motif of entwined serpents is particularly fitting for a funerary vase, yet without an inscription, it remains unclear whether this masterpiece was originally intended as an ash urn or simply a decorative piece. The foot has been skillfully restored.