Creative Commons License
Creative Commons License
Jewish Ossuary
(Ancient Near East )
The shape of this piece was inspired by wooden chests that were used in Jewish homes. The origin of the Jewish ossuary (a box for holding bones) can be traced back to the late 1st century BC, during the time when Rome ruled the Holy Land. At that time, by Jewish custom, when someone died, the body was placed in a wooden coffin within a rock-hewn tomb or burial cave. After a year, the bones were removed and put into an ossuary in the family tomb. On this example, the name of the deceased is carved on the back: "Yehosef bar Aglon" or "Yehosef, the son of Aglon."
Inscription
Provenance
Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object. Learn more about provenance at the Walters.
Safani Gallery, Mr. Edward Safani, Lenox Hill Station, New York; purchased by Lyn P. Meyerhoff, Baltimore and given to the Walters Art Museum, 1987.
Measurements
28 3/8 x 27 15/16 x 12 5/8 in. (72.1 x 71 x 32.1 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Mrs. Lyn P. Meyerhoff, 1987
Location in Museum
Not on view
Accession Number
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
23.240