Palmyrene Limestone Bust of Marya, Son of Yarhi

Origin: MediterraneanCirca: 2nd Century ADDimensions: 20" Height (51 cm) Medium: Limestone Handsomely carved in high relief, this superb sculpted image shows a man wearing a mantle over a long sleeved tunic, with a fold of drapery in his left hand and his right hand gently placed across his chest through the mantle. His head rises emphatically above the relief background, adding a sense of dimension and immediacy to the sculpted appearance. His well defined hair clumps in soft waves, with subtle creases to the brow, while thinly incised eyebrows hang over broad open eyes, and a stylized beard elegantly frames a sternly held mouth. A Palmyrene Armanaic inscription engraved to the left, reads: "Marya, son of Yarhi, the lieutenant(?). Alas!," while the letters themselves preserve traces of red pigment.