Near East/Holy Land, Palmyra, Roman period, ca. 2nd to 3rd century CE. A high relief funerary bust, hand-carved from limestone, depicting half of the body of a man. His face is smooth, his eyes large and staring straight ahead, the pupils and irises incised to give him a more lifelike appearance. His head is uncovered, with a full head of tightly curled hair. A chlamys is secured at one shoulder; the thick folds and drapes of the fabric have been well-carved by the creator. In one hand, he holds a scroll. To the right of his head are four lines of inscribed Aramaic, partially visible. The other side of his head may once had had more writing or a carved architectural feature like a column, based on similar examples. Size: 17.45" W x 22.5" H (44.3 cm x 57.2 cm); 24.75" H (62.9 cm) on included custom stand.
Palmyra was a wealthy city that linked the caravan routes from the Parthian Near East with the Roman Mediterranean; the people who lived there during this period largely enjoyed prosperity and were able to adopt eastern and western customs, clothing, and artistic styles, creating a distinctive visual culture unique to the city. We know of this culture today from the large funerary monuments that the Palmyrans built - tower-shaped vaults whose interiors were lined with sculpted limestone reliefs depicting the deceased. Many of these, like this example, had Aramaic inscriptions which gave the name and family history of the deceased.
Published in, "The Muse's Song: Selections of Ancient Art", Fortuna Fine Arts, 2008, No. 30.
Provenance: private East Coast, USA collection; ex-William Froelich collection, New York, USA, acquired in the 1970s
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#146305
Condition
Losses to edges as shown. Some of the inscription is lost in its upper corner. Tip of nose and some of the fingers are also lost.