Ornement de toit

This architectural element was uncovered in the old city of Marseille, during the excavation of the former Alcazar theater. The remains found in this area range from the Greek period (5th century BC) to the contemporary period. This architectural element representing a tragic mask surrounded by acanthus leaves recalls the world of theater. It is one of a large series of monumental acroteria (corner elements of a roof) of the same type that adorned the tombs of the aristocracy of the Gallo-Roman province of Narbonne. Originally serving as a crowning decoration for a burial mausoleum of the 1st century CE, it was reused in a later construction. This tragic mask thus refers to the practice of reusing architectural elements from antiquity.