A cast stone Roman funerary altar

An unusual, decorative Grand Tour-style garden planter or cinerary urn, cast in reconstituted stone with a beautifully weathered, patinated finish. Modelled closely on a 1st or 2nd-century AD Roman sepulchral altar, the octagonal body features a recessed tabula containing Latin epigraphy. The text replicates a traditional Roman funerary dedication commissioned by a libertus (freedman) for his family and descendants. The corners are flanked by high-relief carvings of classical Erotes (winged cupids) holding draped floral garlands, a quintessential Roman motif symbolizing the passage of time and memory. The urn is hollow with a single drainage hole making it perfectly suited for use as a structural architectural planter, font, or focal garden ornament.