Stèle en calcaire sud-arabe, env. 2e siècle av. J.-C. / apr. J.-C. · Péninsule Arabique – Yémen · ID: 3052785
Henry Cherrick, Los Angeles, USA (2009)
Description
base
Rectangular limestone stela carved in high relief with a stylized human face. The almond-shaped eyes, prominent nose and small, slightly modelled mouth are characteristic of funerary monuments from the ancient kingdom of Qataban. Below the face, an incised panel bears four characters in the Qatabanic script, probably recording the name of the deceased. Traces of red pigment suggest that the surface was originally painted. Such stelae were placed in tomb façades or niches and served as memorials evoking the continued presence of the dead.
The kingdom of Qataban rose to prominence in the second half of the first millennium BC, when it controlled the lucrative trade in frankincense and myrrh - aromatic resins essential for religious rituals across the ancient Near East.
Remarques
This object is subject to the UNESCO Cultural Heritage Protection Act. Export documents are required for export (subjected to a fee).