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This striking camel is a shrine piece or religious
artefact from the ancient kingdom of Saba which
ruled over the lands of southwestern Arabia,
centered in modern day Yemen. Technically, the
Sabeans were one of four major powers in this
area, also including the Minaeans, the
Qatabanians and the Hadramites, but the
peoples as a whole became subsumed as a
single
entity by the middle of the first millennium BC.
Saba is perhaps better known as Sheba, whose
famous Queen was recounted as having visited
Solomon in the pages of the Old Testament. The
wealth of the kingdom is legendary, and is
primarily attributable to Saba’s position at the
crossroads of the ancient world, receiving
consignments (particularly of incense) from all
across the Middle East, Asia and the
Mediterranean basin. The city of Marib was also
in an ideal position to control the trade route
between India and Egypt, although this lucrative
venture was cut short in the 1st century AD
following the foundation of a nautical route from
India directly to the port of Alexandria.
As well as being a highly successful nation state
in their own right, the Sabeans embraced the
multiplicity of cultural influences that they
experienced as a trading superpower. Their
alphabet – Musnad – was one of the most
complex and elegant of the day, while they also
had a second, cursive system (Zabur) that was
used for day-to-day operations. They
mummified their dead, had a pantheon of gods,
and possessed liberal attitudes to the deities and
traditions of outsiders. They also had a complex
social stratification system, extensive public
buildings and ceremonial architecture, and a
literary/theatrical heritage that survives in
fragmented state. It is for their art, however, that
the Sabeans are best remembered. Their religion
and mythology fuelled the themes of their
sculptural works – primarily anthropomorphic
and zoomorphic statuary – while their contact
with other cultures and nations led to a highly
derived and distinctive style. There are major
works in bronze, precious metals and exotic
minerals, but they are perhaps best known for
works in soft stone such as alabaster.
The role of the camel was of course vital to the
economy of all Middle Eastern states; they were
able to keep the city alive, and without their
assistance, the trade routes that brought wealth
to the Sabeans would have been unable to
function. So it is unsurprising to see one
immortalised in this way. Identifying the
intended role of the piece is of course more
speculative, although it may be either a form of
“sacrifice” to a deity for good economic fortune,
or alternatively a personal talisman designed to
harness good fortune in an unknowable ancient
belief system. In our terms, however, it persists
as a well-executed and elegant piece, with a
certain whimsical quality. The animal is standing
immobile, rather than in a dynamic pose.
Nonetheless, the sinuous nature of its lines lends
a powerful sculptural quality to what might
otherwise be a rather mundane topic. The
proportions are fairly accurate, although the
body is fairly low, with disproportionately large
feet. The eyes, nostrils, ears and feet (cleats) are
all incised in clear, well-defined lines, which
contrast with the soft curves and golden glow of
the patina. The piece has evidently been well-
handled – and perhaps has seen the application
of libations before it was buried with its owner.
This is an unusual and charming statuette, and a
worthy addition to any Near Eastern art
collection.
- (FF.25 (LSO))
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