Funerary Statuette of Abī-yadaʿ

This sculpted figure of a man, carved from smooth, translucent alabaster and once inlaid with gleaming shell eyes, offers a powerful glimpse into the commemorative traditions of ancient South Arabia. Dating to the 3rd century BCE, it originates from the kingdom of Qatabān, a major incense-trading polity that flourished in what is now Yemen. The South Arabian inscription carved into the base reads "ʾbydʿ ḏ-Ḏmrʾl" (Abī-yadaʿ son of Damar'ali), identifying the individual by name and lineage—an act of memorialization deeply rooted in Qatabanite funerary practice.

This figure likely comes from Hayd ibn ʿAqīl, the principal cemetery of Timnaʿ, Qatabān’s capital. Timnaʿ was strategically located along the overland incense route, which linked southern Arabia to the wider Mediterranean and Indian Ocean worlds. The city reached its political peak in the 4th century BCE, asserting independence from the rival kingdom of Sabaʾ, before being absorbed by Ḥaḍramawt in the 1st century CE.

This figure is one of nine known sculptures from the Guido Cetti Collection, assembled in Massawa, Eritrea by the early 20th century.