The Corbridge Lanx (British Museum)[1]

A lanx (Latin for dish) was a large ancient Roman serving platter.[2] Particularly ornamented ones were used to make offerings or sacrifices.[3] Indeed, the silver Corbridge Lanx,[4] the second discovered in Britain, has depicted on it a lanx itself, set beside various gods and goddesses: Minerva, Diana, Juno, Vesta and Apollo.[5]

Positioned atop an altar, "of a globular form". Fruit as well as sheep parts and "other small victims" were likely used. However, the exact meaning in this representation has not been determined.[6][7] The inscription on the now lost Risley Park Lanx, which was the first lanx discovered in Britain indicated that it was "church plate."[8]

Notes

  1. ↑ British Museum Highlights
  2. ↑ Lysons, Daniel & Lysons, Samuel. "Antiquities: British and Roman", Magna Britannia vol 5, 1817, pp. CCIII-CCXVIII. Accessed November 26, 2007.
  3. ↑ Dunlop, John Colin. History of Roman Literature from its Earliest Periods to the Augustan Age' Eve Littel, New York: 1827, p233.
  4. ↑ Discovered in 1735 the Corbridge Lanx was owned by the Duke of Northumberland, and purchased by the British Museumin 1993. . Multiple images here eight and here twelve.
  5. ↑ Note divinities otherwise characterised as the Greek equivalents, see: Nicholson, Oliver. "The Corbridge Lanx and the Emperor Julian", Britannia, Vol. 26, 1995, p312
  6. ↑ Hodgson cited in Bruce, John Collingwood. The Roman wall: a historical, topographical and descriptive account of the Barrier of the Lower Isthmus extending from the Tyne to the Solway., London: John Russell Smith, 1851: p335-7; plate p335.
  7. ↑ Nicholson,Oliver. "The Corbridge Lanx and the Emperor Julian", Britannia, Vol. 26, 1995, p312
  8. ↑ Johns, Catherine & Painter, Kenneth. "The Risley Park Lanx 'rediscovered'(abstract)", Minerva 2(6) 1991, 6–13.

Further reading

  • Weitzmann, Kurt, ed., Age of spirituality: late antique and early Christian art, third to seventh century, nos. 110, 126 & 144, 1979, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, ISBN 9780870991790; full text available online from The Metropolitan Museum of Art Libraries
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