Exemplary Palmyrene Limestone Head of Priest

Near East / Holy Land, Palmyra, Roman period, ca. 2nd to 3rd century CE. Wow! A stunning, naturalistic limestone head of a priest wearing a characteristically tubular headdress, known as a modius, encircled by a relief wreath with a miniature male bust at the front. The ancient visage is remarkably lifelike, gazing forward from a pair of sizeable, almond-shaped eyes beneath a stern brow. His straight nose displays a narrow nasal bridge and sits just above a set of bowed lips, which gently turn up at the corners in a small smile, while a realistic pair of ears flank his head. Fleshy folds of skin across his brow, chin, and cheeks, along with angular cheek bones and slightly drooping jowls not only demonstrate the artist's remarkable ability to render life from stone, but also suggest that he may be of an older age. The details of the headdress, eyes, and ears are all beautifully preserved. Size: 18.5" L x 10.7" W x 13.9" H (47 cm x 27.2 cm x 35.3 cm); 25.3" H (64.3 cm) on included custom stand.

Note how the miniature bust atop his headdress also wears a modius; scholars posit that these armless busts that adorn the wreaths of priests functioned as symbols of the priest's rank, as a badge of clan membership, or to express connections to some ancestral cults. The limestone is beautifully marbled and crystallized, with a creamy, almost uniform color.

Palmyra was a wealthy city that linked the caravan routes from the Parthian Near East with the Roman Mediterranean; the people who lived there during this period largely enjoyed prosperity and were able to adopt eastern and western customs, clothing, and artistic styles, creating a distinctive visual culture unique to the city. We know of this culture today from the large funerary monuments that the Palmyran people built - tower-shaped vaults whose interiors were lined with sculpted limestone reliefs depicting the deceased.

Similar limestone heads of priests can be found in many famous museums throughout the world, such as The Walters Art Museum in Maryland (accession number 22.475), Museo Gregoriano Egizio of the Vatican Museums in Rome (inventory number MV.1600.0.0), and the Louvre (AO 1722, AO 5003, and AO 2065). Comparable examples have also been sold by Christie's: Christie's New York sold a limestone head of slightly less detail and smaller scale for $19,120 as lot 421 during their "Antiquities" auction (live auction 1446) on December 10th, 2004, and Christie's London sold a resemblant sculpture for 23,500 GBP (equivalent to about $32,100.18) during another "Antiquities" auction (live auction 8890) on October 5th, 2000.

This piece has been searched against the Art Loss Register database and has been cleared. The Art Loss Register maintains the world's largest database of stolen art, collectibles, and antiques.

Provenance: East Coast collection, New York Gallery, New York City, New York, USA, before 2010

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Display stands not described as included/custom in the item description are for photography purposes only and will not be included with the item upon shipping.

#161470
Condition Report: Fragment of a larger piece. Abrasions to verso. Repairs to base with break lines visible. Several stable pressure fissures, commensurate with age. Chipping throughout, most notably on ears and bridge, bridge of nose, and headdress. Otherwise, excellent with impressive remaining detail.