Forgery of South Arabian plaque

A forgery is a copy of an artwork or an original work made in the style of art from a different time or place than its actual origin. Forgeries are often fabricated with the intent to deceive, usually for monetary gain. While these objects are not authentic to the ancient Near East, they inform scholarship about the market and popular taste during the period of their manufacture. They can also provide clues as to how ancient objects were made, and demonstrate elements of expert craftsmanship in some cases.

This plaque belongs to a group of reliefs generally considered to be forgeries made in Yemen in the early 20th century. It was previously in the possession of Karl S. Twitchell (1885-1968), an American mining engineer, who worked in Yemen in the late 1920s. The relief came to The Met with another one (X.292.2) but to date the source of their acquisition is unknown. About fifty plaques such as these two were part of the collection of ancient South Arabian antiquities formed by Kaiky Muncherjee (1873-1955) in Yemen and acquired by the Aden Museum. Examples are also known in museums in Berlin, Hamburg, and London.

Scholars were aware that counterfeiters were particularly active in the late 19th and early 20th century in Southern Arabia, notably forging inscriptions, and plaques of this type were published as forgeries. The material resembles that of genuine calcite alabaster antiquities from Southern Arabia while the text at the top imitates Sabean inscriptions usually giving the name and lineage of the deceased.