Mantova, N.° 42 Sarcofago del secolo VI, prospetto. Duomo. Fotografia Premi

Detail of a Late Antique sarcophagus with relief decorations. The lid has a pitched roof shape and acroteria at the corners. They are decorated with the figure of Christ, flanked by two Apostles. On the front of the lid, in the middle, the “tabula” bears a Nativity scene. Below, a Latin inscription attests that the sarcophagus has been reused in the 16th c. for the blessed Giovanni Bono, who died in 1248. On both sides of the inscription, two scenes present two men, dealing with wild beasts (probably a lion and a dragon). The casket is heavily damaged: the preserved part shows a row of figures moving towards the centre of the composition, on an architectural background.