What is a sarcophagus?
A sarcophagus is an above-ground coffin of stone, sometimes of metal, wood or terracotta, that is often richly decorated. The word comes from the Greek sarx (flesh) and phagein (to eat): flesh-eating. In antiquity it was believed that a certain limestone made the body decompose quickly. Sarcophagi were used by the Egyptians, Greeks, Romans and Etruscans, and later by rulers, nobility and clergy in churches and funerary chapels.
Form and parts
- The chest: usually rectangular, sometimes with sloping or curved sides. In Egyptian sarcophagi the inner coffin often follows the shape of the body.
- The lid: flat, gabled, or with a recumbent effigy of the deceased (a gisant).
- Decoration: reliefs, columns and niches along the sides, coats of arms and inscriptions.
- Base: the sarcophagus often stands on a raised plinth or on supporting figures.
In architecture
- In churches: sarcophagi and tombs stood in the choir, in side chapels or in the crypt. The closer to the altar, the higher the status of the deceased.
- In mausoleums and funerary chapels: a separate building around one or more sarcophagi.
- As a design motif: the sarcophagus shape recurs in funerary monuments, memorials and classical furniture.
- Figuratively: an enclosure around something dangerous is also called a sarcophagus. The best-known example is the concrete enclosure around the destroyed reactor at Chernobyl.
Practical points in restoration
- A stone sarcophagus is heavy. Before moving one or laying a new floor, have the loadbearing capacity of the floor and foundations assessed first.
- Natural stone is sensitive to moisture and salts. Never clean with acids or high pressure; let a stone conservator decide the approach.
- In listed churches, permission is often required before funerary monuments are moved or treated.
Related terms
- Mausoleum
- Crypt
- Marble
- Parts of a church
- Sanctuary in a church
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