The object is an exquisite example of the taste of the South Arabians in decorating the inscriptions with animal representations. Both the scene and the text are carved in low relief. Below the text, a register depicts an ibex and a bull in profile, with a raised forepaw. On the right of the bull, part of the head of a feline and its forepaw are preserved. The ibex and the bull were sacred animals, widely portrayed on a huge variety of South Arabian objects. The vegetal decoration between the bull’s horns is found in many representations of this animal and was especially spread in the Ḥimyarite southern highlands of Yemen. The habit of harnessing the bulls for ceremonies is illustrated here also by the exceptional representation of a caparison on the animal’s back. The monogram incised on its loins (h. 1.6, w. 1) is probably a tribal or lineage variant of the symbol of the Ḥimyarite regality. The text records the names of two clans of the southern highlands. In fact, the object comes from Ẓafār, the Ḥimyarite capital, or from the near site of Yarīm and may be dated between the 2nd and the 4th centuries AD. Part of an upper register, probably decorated with the lower part of a podium or throne, is visible above the inscription.

Topic: Art