Funerary relief ca. 150–200 Inscription:(at right) 1 Alas! 2 [‘O]ga, 3-4 [son of] Zabda‘ateh, (at left, written vertically)1 (son of) Wahba. 2 Which made 3 his :1 ḥbl2 [ʿ]gʾ3 [br] zbdʿt4 h1 whbʾ2 dy ʿbd3 ʾḥwhyThis relief is a type of funerary monument characteristic of the prosperous caravan city of Palmyra during the first three centuries Reliefs with a representation of the deceased and a short identifying inscription were used to seal burial niches in elaborately decorated communal tombs; those with a half-length or bust format became prevalent sometime after

Funerary relief ca. 150–200 Inscription:(at right) 1 Alas! 2 [‘O]ga, 3-4 [son of] Zabda‘ateh, (at left, written vertically)1 (son of) Wahba. 2 Which made 3 his :1 ḥbl2 [ʿ]gʾ3 [br] zbdʿt4 h1 whbʾ2 dy ʿbd3 ʾḥwhyThis relief is a type of funerary monument characteristic of the prosperous caravan city of Palmyra during the first three centuries Reliefs with a representation of the deceased and a short identifying inscription were used to seal burial niches in elaborately decorated communal tombs; those with a half-length or bust format became prevalent sometime after 65. Shown here is the upper body of a man dressed in a Greek cloak known as a himation, worn over a chiton, or tunic, and wrapped around the right arm like a sling. The folds of these garments are regular and pattern-like, without a realistic sense of weight and volume. Likewise, his hands are simple blocky forms, without articulated joints or bone structure. He holds a small object, probably a schedula (book roll), in his left hand. The background of the relief has been damaged, but a dorsalium (draped cloth) remains partially visible above the shoulders and on the right side. An inscription in Palmyrene Aramaic on either side of his head gives his father and grandfather’s names, and records that the monument was commissioned by the deceased’s brother. Traces of red paint survive in the letters of the inscription. Below eyebrows depicted as simple incised lines, the eyelids are carefully outlined, and downturned at both inner and outer corners. The iris of each large eye is indicated as an incised circle, and the pupils are drilled, underscoring the intensity of the gaze which is directed slightly up and far beyond the viewer. The man’s short hair is depicted as a row of wavy locks, creating a cap-like hairstyle, slightly receding at the temples to suggest middle age. Palmyrene funerary reliefs are not portraits in the modern sense, but the receding chi

How we Work

Contribute

Legal

Contact Us