CIRCA MID 2ND-EARLY 3RD CENTURY A.D.

Palmyra was a prominent oasis city in the heart of the Syrian desert. As a vital caravan stop between the Euphrates River, the Mediterranean Sea, and the Persian Gulf, it amassed exceptional wealth by taxing goods that crossed the desert. The city blended cultural influences from the Roman Empire to the west and the Parthian Empire to the east, while preserving its own distinct identity. Although Palmyra came under Roman control in the 1st century A.D., it retained considerable political and economic autonomy and even briefly broke away in 267 A.D., establishing a short‑lived Palmyrene Empire that claimed many of Rome’s eastern provinces.

The distinct style of Palmyrene art reflects the international influences in the city. The half-length representation on this funerary relief resembles many contemporaneous examples found in Rome, and the physiognomic representation shares a common language with Parthian sculpture. The Palmyrene style, however, remains unique. On this example, a young man is shown positioned before a curtain suspended by rosette pins. He wears a mantle over a long‑sleeved tunic, with his right hand emerging from the folds; his left hand grasps a scroll. The Palmyrene Aramaic inscription over his left shoulder reads, “Woe! Demas (son of) Buthainu (son of) Rushesa.” For a portrait with similar distinctive snail-shaped curls, see the bust in the British Museum, inv. no. 125032.