Description
This stela has no parallel. A woman is depicted frontally; her feet are pointing to her right, with both the tops and the sides visible. The gesture of the hands on the hips is unusual in South Arabian art; it may represent dancing. Adorned with bracelets, anklets, and a broad collar, the woman appears nude: there is a suggestion of short sleeves on the arms but no other evidence of clothing. The figure's unusual proportions suggest that she might be a dwarf; dwarfs were commonly employed as dancers and participants in rituals in ancient Egypt, and they might have played a similar role in ancient South Arabia.
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