Details

COLEM:JOS.1127

Colchester Collections

figurine, pipeclay figurine

The Child's Grave

Figurine of a standing comic old man, with his arms raised to his chest, wearing a short tunic. This is one of ten pipeclay figurines from the Roman burial known as the Child’s grave. He could be interpreted as a slave, soldier or mime actor. In context of the other figurines from the burial he could also be interpreted as a servant at a banquet or lictor.Discovered in 1886 the ‘Child’s Grave’ remains a unique burial assemblage from Roman Britain because of the large and diverse collection of Central Gaulish pipeclay figurines, as well as other grave goods including glass, metal and ceramic vessels, hoard of coins and the remains of a decorative bone funerary couch. The burial included a total of 23 figurines, including ten comics: five seated, four recumbent and one standing figure; a figurine of Hercules, a triple-horned bull and bust of a child. The grave also included ten lead-glazed unguent vessels in the form of different animals: three hares, three monkeys, two lions, one ibex and one boar. With there being only a few, undiagnostic, cremated remains of the individual it leaves the question of whether the burial was actually of a child open for debate.

0050 - 0065

Roman

ceramic, pipeclay

height: 162.00 mm