A Syrian Limestone Funerary Relief, Palmyra, circa mid 2nd Century A.D.

carved in high relief with the bust of a man clad in a chiton and himation, with short beard, full bow-shaped lips, long aquiline nose, large prominent eyes with incised irises, and chevron-incised eyebrows in relief, three lines of Palmyrene Aramaic inscription carved on the slab to his left, "Malkô, son of Shalamallat, (son of) Shalamallat, alas!"

French private collection, Nice, acquired in the 1920s

Good and as shown, note damage to fingers of right hand (previously restored or repaired), chips to proper right eyebrow and cheek, and rubbing to hands and nose; nicks and scratches overall, surface dirty overall
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

The name Shalamallat can be interpreted as "safety given by Allat" (J.K Starck, Personal Names in Palmyrene Inscriptions, Oxford, 1971, p. 114), Allat being the goddess who had her own temple at Palmyra. It is possible that the man depicted on the present relief was related to the family of the tomb of Shalamallat, in which both names present in the inscription often occur together (see D.R. Hillers and E. Cussini, Palmyrene Aramaic Inscriptions, Baltimore, 1996, PAT 1815ff.).