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This striking head is an architectural fragment
from a notable public or ceremonial building,
and pertains to the ancient kingdom of Saba
which ruled over the lands of southwestern
Arabia, centered in modern day Yemen.
Technically, the Sabeans are 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 was
legendary, and was 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 that came with
their status 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 stone such as alabaster and, in the
present case, granite.
This androgynous human head is carved from a
single piece of granite, and was presumably once
part of a much larger block. The head is
elongated and framed by two long, wavy blocks
denoting long hair reaching to the level of the
chin. The neck is columnar; the anterior aspect
thereof is at the same level as the hair. The face
stands well proud of both, and is likewise
elongated with a long nose and forehead
arranged into a T-format. The eyes are rounded
ovals, and are heavily indented; it is likely that
they once held insets (made from shell and
semi-precious stones) to give a startlingly vivid
expression to this austere visage. The cheeks are
subtly modeled and rounded, giving way to
pursed lips and a smoothly rounded chin that
runs into the recessed neck area. The nose, while
elongated, is also rounded and protuberant at
the apex, and nearly flat at the bridge. The eyes
are further defined with indented recesses, and
framed beneath incised eyebrows. Further detail
can be found in the banding at what was
presumably the border of the hair/hat (since
lost). For the most part, however, the sculpture is
characterised by fluid, flowing, smooth lines that
perfectly express the contours of the human
face. The role of this piece is uncertain, although
the Sabeans are known to have used
commemorative pieces to remember the dead,
and also grave markers in this general format.
However, the breaks to the top, side and base of
this piece suggest that it was architectural in
origin, and may have served as a form of caryatid
for a structure of social import to the society at
the time. As a fragment, it has lost none of its
impact. This is a beautifully-executed and well-
preserved piece of Sabean art.
- (LK.110)
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