Lanx Explained

A lanx (Latin for dish) was a large ancient Roman serving platter.^[1] Particularly ornamented ones were used to make offerings or sacrifices.^[2] Indeed, the silver Corbridge Lanx,^[3] the second discovered in Britain, has depicted on it a lanx itself, set beside various gods and goddesses: Minerva, Diana, Juno, Vesta and Apollo.^[4]

Positioned atop an altar, "of a globular form". Fruit as well as sheep parts and "other small victims" were likely used. However, the exact meaning in this representation has not been determined.^{[5] [6]} The inscription on the now lost Risley Park Lanx, which was the first lanx discovered in Britain indicated that it was "church plate."^[7]

Further reading

• Weitzmann, Kurt, ed., Age of spirituality: late antique and early Christian art, third to seventh century, nos. 110, 126 & 144, 1979, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, ; full text available online from The Metropolitan Museum of Art Libraries

Notes and References

1. Lysons, Daniel & Lysons, Samuel. "Antiquities: British and Roman", Magna Britannia vol 5, 1817, pp. CCIII-CCXVIII. Accessed November 26, 2007.
2. Dunlop, John Colin. History of Roman Literature from its Earliest Periods to the Augustan Age' Eve Littel, New York: 1827, p233.
3. Discovered in 1735 the Corbridge Lanx was owned by the Duke of Northumberland, and purchased by the British Museumin 1993. http://www.artfund.org/artwork/5376/the-corbridge-lanx. Multiple images here eight and here twelve.
4. Note divinities otherwise characterised as the Greek equivalents, see: Nicholson, Oliver. "The Corbridge Lanx and the Emperor Julian", Britannia, Vol. 26, 1995, p312
5. Hodgson cited in Bruce, John Collingwood. The Roman wall: a historical, topographical and descriptive account of the Barrier of the Lower Isthmus extending from the Tyne to the Solway., London: John Russell Smith, 1851: p335-7; plate p335.
6. Nicholson,Oliver. "The Corbridge Lanx and the Emperor Julian", Britannia, Vol. 26, 1995, p312
7. Johns, Catherine & Painter, Kenneth. "The Risley Park Lanx 'rediscovered'(abstract)", Minerva 2(6) 1991, 6–13.