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This striking head is a grave marker or
perhaps a
commemorative piece from the ancient
kingdom
of Saba which ruled over the lands of
southwestern Arabia, centered in modern
day
Yemen. Technically, the Sabeans were one
of
four major powers in this area, also
including the
Minaeans, the Qatabanians and the
Hadramites,
but the peoples as a whole became
subsumed as
a single entity by the middle of the
first
millennium BC. Saba is perhaps better
known as
Sheba, whose famous Queen was recounted
as
having visited Solomon in the pages of
the Old
Testament. The wealth of the kingdom is
legendary, and is primarily attributable
to Saba’s
position at the crossroads of the
ancient world,
receiving consignments (particularly of
incense)
from all across the Middle East, Asia
and the
Mediterranean basin. The city of Marib
was also
in an ideal position to control the
trade route
between India to Egypt, although this
lucrative
venture was cut short in the 1st century
AD
following the foundation of a nautical
route from
India directly to the port of
Alexandria.
As well as being a highly successful
nation state
in their own right, the Sabeans embraced
the
multiplicity of cultural influences they
experienced as a trading superpower.
Their
alphabet – Musnad – was one of the most
complex and elegant of the day, while
they also
had a second, cursive system (Zabur)
that was
used for day-to-day operations. They
mummified their dead, had a pantheon of
gods,
and possessed liberal attitudes to the
deities and
traditions of outsiders. They also had a
complex
social stratification system, extensive
public
buildings and ceremonial architecture,
and a
literary/theatrical heritage that
survives in
fragmented state. It is for their art,
however, that
the Sabeans are best remembered. Their
religion
and mythology fuelled the themes of
their
sculptural works – primarily
anthropomorphic
and zoomorphic statuary – while their
contact
with other cultures and nations led to a
highly
derived and distinctive style. There are
major
works in bronze, precious metals and
exotic
minerals, but they are perhaps best
known for
works in soft stone such as alabaster.
This piece depicts a feminine head and
neck, and
appears to have once served as a grave
marker,
or perhaps as part of a larger alabaster
structure.
The face is elongated, with a broad apex
above
the eyes narrowing to a firm and pointed
chin. As
in most Sabean pieces, the eyes – under
high,
arches brows – are exaggerated in terms
of size,
being wide and almond-shaped with the
remains
of light-coloured inlay. The nose is
very long and
delicate, with a high bridge, flaring
slightly
towards the tip over a nugatory mouth in
low
relief. Detailing is limited, with
incised eyebrows
and a single line at the apex of the
forehead that
seems designed to suggest a headband or
similar. It is therefore the linear
design and
graceful execution of the piece that
provide its
impact. The significance of the piece
is, as ever
with ancient art, open to debate.
However, the
fact that the person has been
commemorated in
this way seems to imply they had a
certain status
in the society. It is also possible that
it refers to a
protector spirit or god from the large
Sabean
pantheon. Whatever the reason, however,
this is
a well-conceived and executed piece of
ancient
art.
- (PF.0084 (LSO))
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