South Arabian - Stele with Bust of a Woman - Walters 2143

This bust is part of a figure of a female participant in a ritual. The image is a variant of the well-known motif of a worshiper, which has a long tradition in the ancient Near East and was also popular in South Arabia. Such figures could serve as funerary monuments or votive figures, placed in a sacred shrine or temple. Their purpose was to ensure the continued close relationship between the individual and the worshiped deity.