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An extremely rare Ancient Roman marble head of a camel, dating to approximately 200 A.D.
Shown in naturalistic style, with head turned to the right, the ears drawn back over the head and the eyes and mouth carefully incised.
The camel, an extremely rare theme in Roman art, was introduced into the Arabian and Palestinian communities from the 2nd Millennium B.C. This introduction and domestication enabled the opening of important trade routes such as the Palestine-Damascus-Mesopotamia route.1
The piece likely originates from the Eastern Roman Empire, possibly Syrian or Levantine.
Height, mounted: 5 1/2 inches.
Condition: Unrestored.
Provenance: Ex. New York City private collection. Ex. New York Art Market.
References:
1. A.S.Walker, Animals in Ancient Art from the Leo Mildenberg collection, von Zabern, 1996, p.140.
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