Phoenician Sarcophagus of a Youth 5th - 4th century B.C. Parian marble Gift of Lee and Joe Jamail on memory of Marie and Joseph D. Jamail; and of Caroline Wiess Law and of the Merrin Gallery, Inc. Throughout the ancient world, the artists of rich Phoenicia were renowned for their skills. They developed this unique coffin form for the burial of nobility, using the shape of an Egyptian sarcophagus but carved with a classic Greek face to represent the deceased. The most outstanding coffins were made of marble imported from the Greek island of Paros. There are about 83 Phoenician sarcophagi known in the world today, many in fragmented condition and some with provincial carving. There are only two others in the United States, at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This sarcophagus is expertly carved in the Greek style, made of Parian marble that weighs over 2,000 pounds and stands 7 feet tall. It is an outstanding sculpture and a rich blend of two of the most important artistic traditions of antiquity, Egyptian and Greek. Photo credits: Alice Lowe for the Art & Design Matters Texas Art Crawl www.ArtandDesignMatters.com #admMuseumSupport #admTexasArtCrawl #admSupportsTheArts #MFAH #letsgotothemusem #VisitHouston #VisitTexas #Houston #Texas #HoustonTexas #artmuseum #arthistory #artcurator #arthistorian #museumcurator #culturetrip #culturetraveler #culturetravel #sarcophagus #artcollector #Art (at The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston) https://www.instagram.com/p/CTbO457Lt5y/?utm_medium=tumblr
