Offering Box (Arca) and Key

Resting on a base supported by lions' paws, this bronze arca or offering box takes the form of a miniature hexagonal structure. A roof composed of six curved sections surmounts the six joined panels forming the body. A cutting on the top of the roof served as a deposit slot, and traces on either side of this slot show that a statuette originally stood on the top of the offering box. In order to empty the box, a small door on one side opened with a key.This offering box was found in France in a hoard that also included a Pair of Portrait Busts (89.AB.67) and the Statuette of Mars/Cobannus (96.AB.54).