An Alabaster Bust of a Woman, Southern Arabia, circa 1st Century B.C./1st Century A.D.

with hands clasped together on her abdomen, and wearing armlets, bracelets, and necklace with pendants(?), her oval face with straight mouth, large eyes recessed for inlay, and long engraved eyebrows.

Pierre Aimable Chapon-Baissac, Djibouti, Governor of French Somaliland from 1924 to 1935, acquired from an art dealer from Aden, most likely Kaiky Muncherjee
Gimpel Fils, London, August 4th, 1974

Henry de Contenson, "Trois sculptures de l'Arabie du Sud," Syria, vol. XLVI, 1969, pp. 101-103, pl. VIII
Sabina Antonini, La statuaria sudarabica in pietra (Repertorio iconografico sudarabico, vol. 1), Paris, 2001, p. 125, D8, pl. 73

Large superficial chip off back of proper left shoulder extending to below proper left elbow, nose chipped, minor nicks and scratches elsewhere, inlays missing as described, remains of root-marks overall, flat back and underside are roughly chiselled diagonally in antiquity for better adhesion of cement used to secure bust within a recess or niche.
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