Description:

Ancient South Arabia, Yemen, ca. early first millennium BCE. A cast bronze head of a camel, a fragment from a larger votive statue. The head is lifelike, with the distinctive long snout and pronounced brow of the animal. The artist has given the camel thick fur back from the brow, which coats the neck and tops of the large ears. The camel was domesticated in South Arabia some time during the Bronze Age (ca. 3000 BCE), and rapidly became central to its economy. Camels allowed them to traverse the vast desert of the Rub al-Khali, "the Empty Quarter", and were the main method of transport for long-distance trade north to the huge urban centers of the ancient Near East. In turn, South Arabia became famous as a source of perfumes and incense necessary to religious ceremonies in Mesopotamia and beyond. Bronze camel statues like this one once topped seem to have been votive offerings, often presented without inscription. Size: 2.45" W x 1.8" H (6.2 cm x 4.6 cm); 4.3" H (10.9 cm) on included custom stand.

Provenance: private East Coast, USA collection

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#144181

  • Condition: Head is a fragment from a larger statue. Nice green patina with excellent preserved details.

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May 9, 2019 8:00 AM MDT
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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