Fragment of a Palmyran Funerary Stele (Front)

The subject of the funerary stele is a frontally-facing, bearded man dressed in a tunic and himation (mantle). His left hand grasps a fold of the garment; his right arm is wrapped in the folds of his himation in a sling-like arrangement with only the hand visible. His hair is arranged in rows of tight snail curls and his beard is short and neat. Thin, incised eyebrows appear over large eyes with incised irises and pupils and exaggerated eyelids. Funerary monuments of this type&#8212carved in white limestone and depicting figures with elaborate garments and elegant coiffures&#8212survive in large numbers at Palmyra, an ancient caravan city in Syria. An Aramaic inscription on this relief to the right of the man’s head identifies him as Maqi, the son of M’ani. Traces of red pigment are preserved in the lettering. He may have been one of the many wealthy traders who lived in Palmyra.