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Sarcophagus of Constantia
Cat. 237
This monumental sarcophagus in red porphyry was made to hold the remains of one of the daughters of the Emperor Constantine the Great, most probably Constantia who died in 354 A.D. and was buried in a mausoleum on the via Nomentana, alongside the basilica of St Agnes.
Between 1467 and 1471 the sarcophagus was removed to Piazza San Marco in Rome and later, in 1790, it was taken into the Vatican Museums on a cart dragged by 40 oxen.
It rests on four lionesses supports which were carved by Francesco Antonio Franzoni.
The coffin is decorated on all four sides with garlands and grape vines, large acanthus scrolls and cupids treading grapes.
Below there are two peacocks, a ram and a cupid with a garland.
The lid is decorated with festoons of greenery tied to masks.
The Dionysian decoration of the grape harvest also appears in the exquisitely refined mosaic decoration of the vault of the mausoleum of Constantia.
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