South Arabian Bronze Votive Plaque with Qatabanian Inscription

Culture: South Arabia

Period: Mid 1st century B.C.

Material: Bronze

Dimensions: 12.2 cm high

Price: 7 800 Euro

Ref: 6150

Provenance: Private collection D.S., acquired in the 1990s at the art market in London.

Condition: Professionally reassembled from a few fragments, without missing parts or additions.

Description: Bronze votive plaque with ten lines of Qatabanian inscription. A man named Manawat dedicates it to a temple asking for wealth and prosperity for his children, his descendants and for himself. Concretely the ten lines are to be read as follows: "Manawat/Dedicates/As a testimony for Athas/From Garbum this plaque/Of bronze which/Is provided/As a verdict, as an oracle and/As an audible testimony about/Manawat, his/Children and his descendants". For comparison see „Jemen – Kunst und Archäologie im Land der Königin von Saba“, Wilfried Seipel (Hrsg.), no. 174, page 299, respectively in the depot of Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Washington D. C., Inv.-Nr. TS 1121. Mounted.