Near East/Holy Land, Palmyra, Roman period, ca. 1st century CE. A fascinating limestone figure, depicting a standing man draped in heavily textured himation. His face stares straight ahead at the viewer, with large eyes, and a lifelike nose and mouth. His hair is depicted as thick, with a rich, wavy texture; his upper body, visible on one side, is muscular and athletic. His hands - one at his side, the other holding his clothing - are nicely sculpted, especially the one resting on his leg. The artist has taken care to portray this figure - probably based on a real person - with fine detail. This figure's face is instantly recognizable as being from the carving tradition at Palmyra, with large, staring eyes deeply set within projecting eyelids. Size: 10.5" W x 21.9" H (26.7 cm x 55.6 cm); 23.8" H (60.5 cm) on included custom stand.

Palmyra was a wealthy city that linked the caravan routes from the Parthian Near East with the Roman mediterranean; the people who lived there during this period largely enjoyed prosperity and were able to adopt eastern and western customs, clothing, and artistic styles, creating a distinctive visual culture unique to the city. We know of this culture today from the large funerary monuments that the Palmyrans built - tower-shaped vaults whose interiors were lined with sculpted limestone depicting the deceased.

Provenance: private East Coast, USA collection

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#132489

Some small patches of oxidized patina on the body, with a larger area on the top/back of the head. Encrustation on the lower back. Lower part of the body is lost below the knee. Tip of nose is also lost. Otherwise features and details are beautifully preserved.