Early-Christian sarcophagus from Daruvar

The richly decorated chest of the sarcophagus was found in Veliki Bastaji near Daruvar, probably in the year 1842, on the occasion of the discovery of a tomb with an inscription tablet upon which a lengthy allegorical text was written, probably of apocryphal-gnostical characteristics.

The sarcophagus was made from massive-granular marble; on the frontal surface there are the relief images of the deceased – woman and man. The relief image on the right lateral plane consists of two saplings and two seating panthers with their paws on a kantharos out of which grapevine tendrils are snaking out.