Sarcophagus with the harbour of Portus and a bar (1340)

Found in the Isola Sacra necropolis, tomb 90.
Date: second century AD.
To the left a cargo ship and a rowing boat are approaching the lighthouse of Claudius in Portus. To the right two customers, a woman and a man, are sitting at a table in a bar. The man is drinking from a cup, a barmaid brings a cup to the woman. There is some furniture behind the customers, represented by shallow lines. To their right is a tree. A dog jumps up against the table. To the left of the barmaid is the bar counter, with a small water basin with a curved top, precisely what can be seen in several bars in Ostia. Above the counter are shelves with long rows of vessels. Rather unexpected is the depiction of a vertical dolphin to the left. It has been suggested that the bar was named "At the dolphin". The dolphin also forms a link with the water of the harbour basin.

Arachne 1074245. Amedick 1991, cat. nr. 97. Photos: ICCD E069953, F009415 and Parco Archeologico di Ostia Antica.