Moqimu at The British Museum, London

myminifactory

Moqimu, son of Moqimu. Limestone bust from a Palmyrene funerary relief; carved; half length; bearded man; standing against a background of a cloth hung from two buckles which each clasp a feather or leaf; on right hand are two rings on little finger and a third on the index finger; holds strip of writing material; eyeballs still coloured; inscription; 3 ll. These stone faces, representing Roman Syrians, who lived between about AD 50-270, come from tombs outside the city of Palmyra. Their fashions are Syrian but they are shown in realistic Roman style. There were three types of tombs, all built for wealthy citizens: single-storey house tombs, tomb towers of several storeys and underground rock-hewn tombs. Inside, each tomb contained rows of compartments set into the walls to hold the remains of the dead. Each was sealed with a plaque bearing a stone portrait of the dead person accompanied by a brief inscription.