A SOUTH ARABIAN ALABASTER STELE Circa 2nd Century B.C.

拍品描述

A SOUTH ARABIAN ALABASTER STELE Circa 2nd Century B.C. Carved from pale alabaster with a softly lustrous surface, the stele presents the upper body of a seated figure emerging from a roughly rectangular backing block. The head is smoothly rounded, with simplified facial features and drilled ear hollows. The shoulders and torso are carefully modelled, while the lower portion and sides retain the stone’s rougher, unworked texture, providing a distinct contrast between finished and natural surfaces. The figure’s arms are folded across the chest, the hands indicated by incised parallel lines. The reverse remains largely unworked, preserving the natural crystalline structure of the alabaster with vertical tooling marks visible along the central ridge. Monumental and small stelae of this type were commonly set within funerary or domestic cult contexts in South Arabia, serving as commemorative markers or representations of the deceased. Measurements: Height 9.5 cm

图片