2nd century BC-2nd century AD. The top of a rectangular alabaster stele with stylised human face carved in the half-round with remains of blue and red pigmentation; lentoid sockets for separate inlaid eyes, keeled triangular nose, D-shaped bilinear ears; short incised inscription below the chin; mounted on a custom-made stand. 3.6 kg, 26.5cm including stand (10 1/2"). From the Rihani family collection; acquired 1990s. South Arabian sculpture associated with palaces and domestic settings often reflects a strong Graeco-Roman influence. In contrast, ancestral images, funerary portraits and votive dedications exhibit a distinct style that is characteristically local. The flat surfaces to the rear of these stele suggest that they were installed against walls and were most likely memorial plaques in honour of the dead. Relief plaques such as these are known from the upland areas of the Marib, the ancient centre of the Sabaean Empire. This area contains numerous stone ruins dating from between the first millennium BC into the early first millennium AD, and which was a period when the region was enriched by the burgeoning Roman demand for spices that linked south Arabia to Ethiopia and the cultures of the Indian Ocean in a complex trade network.

Fine condition, cracked, nose chipped.