As well as being a highly successful nation state in their own right, the Sabeans embraced the multiplicity of cultural influences that 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 humanoid head and neck; while many such pieces were used as grave markers, the comparatively compact size of this piece counts against such a possibility. It is more likely to have been a commemorative object, or perhaps a deity that was once attached to a larger alabaster object or structure. The face combines expressionist styling with perfect finish. The whole head is domed from the base up, providing a lugubrious expression that is heightened by the long nose and slightly surprised raise of the double-arched eyebrows. The eyes are roughly diamond-shaped, with indents for inlays (now lost). The lips are raised above the level of the rather flat face, and pursed in a disapproving bow. Mainly, however, the features of the face are understated, with more emphasis being paid to the flow and form of the lines that go to make up the major structural elements.