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Sem 122


By kind permission of Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien

DEPOSIT INFORMATION

DepositWien, Kunsthistorisches Museum, Sem 122

SUPPORT INFORMATION

Support typeArtefact » Stela » Stela with figure in relief
SubjectHuman face
MaterialStone
Dimensionsh. 17.5, w. 15, th. 7.7
Decoration
Figurative subjectHuman figure
      GenderMan
      Part of human bodyFace
Chronology
PeriodAncient
Notes on support and decorationsSandstone stela with male face in high relief, placed at its top. The lower part of this stela, which was probably engraved with an onomastic inscription, is missing. The trapezoidal-shaped face is rather flat, with a projecting broad forehead, protruding ears, almond-shaped eyes with rounded pupils. The nose is abraded, the mouth is realized by a straight cavity; the curtain beard is indicated by a thin ledge which encircles the face.
The modern arrangement, inside a niche, appears incongruous.

ORIGIN AND PROVENANCE

Unknown
Modern siteUnknown
Ancient siteUnknown
Geographical areaUnknown
CountryUnknown
Archaeological contextFunerary context
NotesFor the possible origin of the piece, see the Cultural Notes.
Link to site record

CULTURAL NOTES

Art
This kind of face-stela is typical of the Jawf region, with the exception of the eyes' realization. It is comparable with an exemplar originating from Inabbaʾ and housed in the British Museum (cf. Lombardi 2016: 46, fig. 33 and 115, cat. 17), and another piece in the National Museum of Ṣanʿāʾ (Arbach and Schiettecatte 2006: al-Jawf 04.297).

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Müller, David H. 1899: 60Müller, David H. (ed.) 1899. Südarabische Altertümer im Kunsthistorischen Hofmuseum. Vienna: Alfred Hölder. [Im Auftrage und mit Unterstützung des Oberstlämmerer-Amtes seiner K. und K. Apost. Majestät]
Arbach and Schiettecatte 2006: 117, pl. 67/302.Arbach, Mounir and Schiettecatte, Jérémie 2006. Catalogue des pièces archéologiques et épigraphiques du Jawf au Musée National de Ṣanʿâʾ. Ṣanʿâʾ National Museum. Ṣanʿāʾ: Centre français d'archéologie et de sciences sociales de Ṣanʿâʾ. [Text in French and Arabic]
Lombardi 2016: 115, cat. 17Lombardi, Alessandra 2016. South Arabian funerary stelae from the British Museum collection. With contribution by Fabio Eugenio Betti. (Arabia Antica, 11). Rome: «L'Erma» di Bretschneider.