Sarcophagus (cast)

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This cast of a sandstone sarcophagus, or coffin, found in the churchyard at Govan in Glasgow, was made in 1990. Unusually, all four sides of the sarcophagus were preserved, with carvings on each face. Only the lid is missing.

This picture shows one of the long sides. The left scene appears to show a hunting scene with a man on horseback, armed with a short sword, hunting a stag and another animal. On the right is a beast trampling another beast and a snake.

For over 5000 years people in Scotland have hunted for sport and prestige as well as to obtain food. Scenes of aristocratic hunting were popular on Pictish stone monuments.

Record details

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• Online ID: 000-190-002-096-C
• Image Rights Holder: National Museums Scotland
• Project: National Museums Scotland
  Project description   View all records in project
• Ref: National Museums Scotland  X.IB 12
• Date: 1990
  Date of original: 10th or 11th century; date of cast: 1990
  
• Material: Stone, ornamented interlaced work, figures of beasts
  Coffin / cast
  
• Dimensions: 88" x 25" x 20"
  
• What: Coffin / cast
  
• Subject:
• Who:
• Where: Scotland, Lanarkshire, Glasgow, Govan Churchyard
  
• Event:
• Description: Cast of a stone coffin, 1990, the original was found in the churchyard at Govan in Glasgow and dates from the 10th or 11th century
  
• References:
  • Allen, J. R. & Anderson, J. The early Christian monuments of Scotland. Edinburgh: Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, 1903, vol. 2, pp 462-3. 
• Translations:
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