Labrum on base

Small scale basin (labrum) on fluted base, carved in red porphyry and used for decorative purposes. The marble employed is ancient, while the carving of both elements (basin and support) has been carried out in modern times. The labrum is plain, with no moulded or sculpted ornaments, while its base has been worked in imitation of ancient exemplars, with a tapered and fluted shaft.

The porphyry is of an intense vivid red, spotted with tiny cream or pale pink pebbles. Extracted from Egyptian quarries of imperial property, red porphyry was occasionally employed during the Republican age, whereas in the period from Trajan to the V century ad it experienced intensive use. Its success in different contexts lied in the association with the imperial figure, so much so that Diocletian had to limit its use solely for dynastic portraiture and imperial buildings.