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HOME :
Biblical Antiquities :
Sabean Art : Sabean Alabaster Relief of a Horned Bull
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Sabean Alabaster Relief of a Horned Bull - PF.0083
Origin: Yemen
Circa: 200
BC
to 100
AD
Dimensions:
4" (10.2cm) high
x 5.5" (14.0cm) wide
Catalogue: V1
Collection: Near Eastern
Medium: Alabaster
$4,000.00
Location: United States
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| Description |
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The ancient kingdom of Saba ruled over
the
lands of southern Arabia, centered in
modern
day Yemen. Saba is perhaps better known
as
Sheba, the Hebrew word for the kingdom,
whose
famous Queen was recounted as having
visited
Solomon in the pages of the Old
Testament.
Biblical accounts speak of the wealth of
this
ancient civilization of traders and
merchants, and
modern archaeological excavations
confirm these
reports. Ruins of fortresses and walled
towns are
evident and remnants of their extensive
irrigation
system that turned the desert into a
paradise
still cover the land. Although gold and
silver
deposits were present, the chief source
of their
vast wealth was derived from their
veritable
monopoly of two of the most coveted
materials
in ancient times: frankincense and
myrrh,
resinous gums obtained from certain
trees that
only grow in Southern Arabia and were
literally
worth their weight in gold. There was
not a
temple or wealthy house in the ancient
world,
from Babylon to Rome, where one would
not
smell the fragrant scents of these
incenses. In
addition, a trade route that connected
India to
Egypt that passed through their capital
of Marib
was another major source of wealth.
Perhaps
their greatest accomplishment was the
Great
Dam of Marib, a monumental construction
that
brought water from the mountains both to
the
city and to the crop fields. The dam was
in
continual use (accounting for timely
repairs) until
the 6th Century A.D. and its ultimate
destruction
is detailed in the Koran as the end of
the old
world and a turning point in history.
However,
the civilization that created this
wonder fell apart
long before the damn did. In the 1st
Century
A.D., the Ptolemaic Greeks discovered a
sea
route from India directly to the port of
Alexandria, eliminating Saba from this
lucrative
trade and ushering in the decline of
Sabean
prosperity.
Carved from one smooth block of
alabaster, this
beautiful high relief sculpture
signifies an
important period of art in the South
Arabian
region, using bold curves and delicate
decoration. Its simplicity, demonstrates
the skill
that was required to carve this piece,
while at the
same time, maintaining the smoothness of
the
stone. Purity of line and form is
essential to the
overall balance of the piece, combining
only the
purest geometric forms to create a truly
unique
work of art.
- (PF.0083)
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