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The Libyan Sibyl

1860; carved 1861
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 700
"The Libyan Sibyl," which Story described as “my anti-slavery sermon in stone,” was inspired by events leading up to the American Civil War. Oracle in hand, the Libyan Sibyl, eldest of the legendary prophetesses of antiquity, foresees the terrible fate of the African people. This premonition is suggested by the heroic figure’s state of brooding cogitation. Her costume includes an ammonite-shell (so named for the Egyptian god Amun) headdress, its crest decorated with the tetragrammaton, the four Hebrew consonants that denote the Supreme Being. The seal of Solomon, today associated with the Jewish Star of David, hangs from her beaded necklace, its interlocking triangles symbolizing the interrelationship of the natural and spiritual worlds.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: The Libyan Sibyl
  • Artist: William Wetmore Story (American, Boston, Massachusetts 1819–1895 Vallombrosa)
  • Date: 1860; carved 1861
  • Culture: American
  • Medium: Marble
  • Dimensions: 53 x 27 3/4 x 45 1/2 in. (134.6 x 70.5 x 115.6 cm)
  • Credit Line: Gift of Erving Wolf Foundation, in memory of Diane R. Wolf, 1979
  • Object Number: 1979.266
  • Curatorial Department: The American Wing

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