Palmyra

An exquisitely sculpted bust of a woman from ancient Palmyra in Syria has returned to view for the first time since 2006. Named “Haliphat,” the limestone funerary relief depicts an elegant, bejeweled figure that combines both Roman and Eastern characteristics. According to the Aramaic inscription behind Haliphat, she died in 231 CE, when Palmyra, “city of palms,” was one of the wealthiest Roman trading cities between the Mediterranean, Iran, and South Asia. A newly created 3-D scan of Haliphat will be released for viewing and download at a later date as part of the Smithsonian X 3D Collection.

Accompanying the bust is a video screen that shows Félix Bonfils’ evocative 1860s photographs of Palmyra. Also featured are images from a recent gift to the F|S Library, a copy of Robert Wood’s The Ruins of Palmyra, completed in 1753. Wood’s work was one of the most influential publications of the eighteenth century, providing inspiration for countless neoclassical architects in Britain and North America. Its image of an “Eagle Decorating an Ancient Roman Temple” was the model for the image on the seal of the United States, and its depictions of Palmyra’s coffered ceilings inspired the ceiling of the Freer Gallery’s north entrance.

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Video: The photographs of Palmyra by Felix Bonfils circa 1867-76

The photographs of the Roman city of Palmyra in Syria were taken by Félix Bonfils (1831–1885), the most prolific photographer of the Near East in the second half of the nineteenth century. Bonfils’ extensive studio portraits and images of landscapes and architecture introduced Western viewers to the Near East and were particularly sought after by travelers to the region.

In 1750 and 1751, Robert Wood (1717–1771), along with the draftsman Giovanni Battista Borra and two young scholars, traveled throughout the eastern Mediterranean regions, including Syria. They took careful measurements and drawings of Palmyra. Robert Wood’s The Ruins of Palmyra, published in London in 1753, was the first systematic publication of ancient structures. It had a profound impact on the popularity of neoclassical architecture in Europe and the United States. For example, “Eagle Decorating an Ancient Roman Temple” was a model for the image on the Seal of the United States. The publication also includes depictions of Palmyra’s coffered ceilings, which inspired the ceiling of the north entrance of the Freer Gallery of Art.

Map of Palmyra