GINA BORROMEO IS WELL VERSED IN ANCIENT ARTIFACTS, BUT ONE RECENT QUESTION FROM A MUSEUM CURATOR CAUGHT HER OFF GUARD: 'DO YOU WANT A SARCOPHAGUS?' AND NOT JUST ANY SARCOPHAGUS. THIS WAS A WHITE COFFIN WITH MARBLE DATING AS FAR BACK AS THE 2nd CENTURY THAT DEPICTED FOLLOWERS OF THE GREEK WINE GOD DIONYSUS. IT WAS BROUGHT BACK FROM EUROPE BY A WEALTHY RHODE ISLAND COUPLE WHO DONATED IT TO THE MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY AND PLANETARIUM IN 1904. FOR YEARS, THE COFFIN SAT UNCEREMONIOUSLY IN THE LOBBY OF THE BUILDING AT ROGER WILLIAMS PARK. NOW THE CITY-OPERATED MUSEUM WAS SUDDENLY WILLING TO PART WITH IT AFTER MORE THAN A CENTURY, DECIDING ITS MISSION WAS SHIFTING MORE AND MORE TOWARD NATURAL HISTORY AND AWAY FROM ART. FOR BORROMEO, THE ANCIENT ART CURATOR FOR THE RHODE ISLAND SCHOOL OF DESIGN MUSEUM OF ART, THE CHANCE TO ACQUIRE THE AMAZING PIECE, FOR FREE, WAS SOMETHING SHE COULDN'T PASS UP.
BUT THE DEAL HIT A SNAG WEDNESDAY LAST, THE DAY THE PIECE WAS TO BE TRANSFERRED BETWEEN MUSEUMS, WHEN PROVIDENCE OFFICIALS POSTPONED THE MOVE SO THEY COULD 'FURTHER REVIEW' THE AGREEMENT. BORROMEO SAID SHE WASN'T SURE WHAT THE CITY'S CONCERN WAS. THE DESIGN SCHOOL'S MUSEUM, RHODE ISLAND'S PRE-EMINENT MUSEUM, HAS SAID IT WANTS TO DISPLAY THE SARCOPHAGUS IN ITS NEW GREEK AND ROMAN ART GALLERIES WHICH ARE OPENING NEXT FALL. IT WOULD JOIN OTHER FUNERARY OBJECTS AND PARTIAL OR FULL SARCOPHAGI AT THE MUSEUM, INCLUDING ONE DATING FROM THE 2nd CENTURY THAT DEPICTS SCENES FROM THE TROJAN WAR. THE GIFT WOULD BE A DOSE OF GOOD NEWS FOR THE MUSEUM AFTER A TOUGH SUMMER, WHEN IT CLOSED FOR AUGUST AS A COST-CUTTING MEASURE. ALSO THAT MONTH, THE SCHOOL ANNOUNCED THE ABRUPT AND UNEXPLAINED RESIGNATION OF POPULAR MUSEUM DIRECTOR HOPE ALSWANG, DRAWING LOUD COMPLAINTS FROM MUSEUM TRUSTEES AND OTHER SUPPORTERS. IF AND WHEN RISD ACQUIRES THE COFFIN, THE PIECE WILL GET MORE ATTENTION TOWARD ITS PRESERVATION AND STUDENTS WILL HAVE A CHANCE TO STUDY IT, EVEN AS EXPERTS TRY TO LEARN MORE OF THE STORY BEHIND IT.
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