Stele with Bull's Head
- Historical period(s)
- Kingdom of Qataban, ca. 1st century BCE
- H x W x D: 26.8 x 17.6 x 9.3 cm (10 9/16 x 6 15/16 x 3 11/16 in)
- Credit Line
- Gift of Joseph H. Hirshhorn to the Smithsonian Institution
- Arthur M. Sackler Gallery
- Accession Number
- This stele, or carved and inscribed stone slab, depicts the head of a bull. A number of similar stelae have been excavated in Yemen at the site of Timna', the ancient capital of the kingdom of Qataban (ca. 500-100 B.C.E.), where they were dedicated in cult buildings that served a funerary purpose. The inscription, written in South Arabian script, names the donor of the stela. The animal may be the symbol of a local god.Qataban was one of several kingdoms that prospered in antiquity as they gained control over the caravan trade routes across the Arabian peninsula. Frankincense and myrrh, prized products of South Arabia, were transported along the trade routes to Mediterranean markets.
Joseph H. Hirshhorn (1899-1981). 
From 1972 to 1986
Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., gift of Joseph H. Hirshhorn. 
Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, transferred from Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. 
 See document from the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, object file, Collections Management Office.
 See note 1.
 See note 1. See also object file, Collections Management Office.
- Former owner
- Joseph H. Hirshhorn
Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden
- On View Location
- Currently not on view
- Collection(s) Area
- Ancient Near Eastern Art
- Web Resource(s)
- Google Cultural Institute
- Rights Statement
- Copyright with museum