CSAI

Corpus of South Arabian Inscriptions


By kind permission of British Museum

DEPOSIT INFORMATION

DepositLondon, The British Museum, BM 141557=1985,0223.26
NotesDonated by D.B. Doe, MBE

SUPPORT INFORMATION

Support typeArtefact » Sculpture in the round » Human figure
MaterialAlabaster
Measuresh.16.8, w. 7, th. 6
Decoration
Figurative subjectHuman figure
      GenderWoman
      Part of human bodyComplete figure
      Human gestureSitting, Arms stretching out
Notes on support and decorationsThis figure of a seated female, with pillar-shaped legs, is very simply carved. It is blocky and rigid and is comprised largely of geometric shapes. The head is small compared to other types of seated figures. The facial features are expressionless and very schematic, comprising large eyes, barely indicated, with a small hole in centre to indicate the pupil, a large rectangular shaped nose carved in low relief, and small straight incised line for a mouth. The head is flat on the top and stops at the hairline. The fingers and toes are indicated with incised lines. Small protruding breasts are positioned between the hands. The back is finished, with the back of the arms, the spine and the waist modelled. The back of the head is not shaped at all but left as a rectangular block. Details of the seat are not indicated.
Parallels are more typically in limestone (see Antonini 2001: 35-36, 45-47, pls. 6-7).

ORIGIN AND PROVENANCE

Origin. Conjectural
Modern siteUnknown
Ancient siteUnknown
Geographical areawādī al-Jawf
CountryYemen
Archaeological contextFunerary context
Link to site record

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Antonini 2001: 47, pl. 7Antonini, Sabina 2001. La statuaria sudarabica in pietra. Repertorio iconografico sudarabico. 1. Paris: de Boccard / Rome: IsIAO. [Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-lettres; Istituto Italiano per l'Africa e l'Oriente]