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LuBM 1
By kind permission of British Museum
By kind permission of British Museum
By kind permission of British Museum
By kind permission of British Museum
DEPOSIT INFORMATION
| Deposit | London, The British Museum, BM 135323+BM 135324=1970,0604.1-2 |
SUPPORT INFORMATION
| Support type | Artefact » Altar | ||||||||||||
| Shape | Squared | ||||||||||||
| Material | Bronze | ||||||||||||
| Dimensions | h. 66, w. 110, th. 34.5 | ||||||||||||
| Decoration |
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| Decoration |
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| Notes on support and decorations | Fragmentary bronze altar of which two joining walls survive. The larger and front wall of the altar is decorated with three rows of twelve standing frontal sphinxes, placed between two elongated, lateral false windows. On the top, the inscription is placed inside a recessed panel surrounded by a thin plain framework. Between the inscribed upper panel and the sphinxes: two rows of rectangular dentils. The second fragment, belonging to the back wall of the altar, preserves only its upper part, whose surface alternates regular offsets and recesses. From the two large recesses two bull's head spouts are projecting. The raised letters were made by applying individual wax threads onto the panel before it was cast. This unique object is one of the largest and most important examples of ancient South Arabian metal working. |
ORIGIN AND PROVENANCE
| Modern site | Unknown |
| Ancient site | Unknown |
| Geographical area | Unknown |
| Country | Unknown |
| Notes | Mārib as the place of origin for the altar is purely hypothetical and only suggested by the splendour of the bronze altar. |
| Link to site record |
EPIGRAPHS
| Title | LuBM 1 |
| Language | Ancient South Arabian » Sabaic » Early Sabaic |
| Link to epigraph record |