Two Palmyrene funerary busts in the collection of the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, Mo

Abstract

We describe here two previously unpublished funerary busts from Palmyra and now in the collection of the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, Mo. (inv. nos. 73-50 and 48-13). We trace the history of the busts’ ownership, engaging in a theoretical discussion of some issues involved in publishing unprovenanced artifacts. We describe each object briefly, giving accounts of the iconography and epigraphic data of each. Although we judge both objects likely to be authentic, we suggest that the inscription of NA no. 73-50 is likely authentic, whereas the inscription of NA no. 48-13 is most likely a forgery. We also provide a detailed onomastic analysis of NA no. 73-50.