Battataï, 3rd century
MAH Museum of Art and History, Geneva; inv. no. 008193
Round brooch, simple headband; a distaff and a spindle.
Museum description:
“Bust of a woman wearing the tunic, a first coat held by a large circular fibula and another coat which covers the head, forming sides, and the arms, all the right forearm remaining bare. The hands, disproportionate, coarse and ringless, hold, one, the edge of the upper mantle, the other, distaff and spindle, symbols of domestic virtues. The head is capped with a turban with three layers of pleats held at the bottom by a simple tiara. The hair is combed back, the locks going up on the tiara. The epitaph, in the Aramaic language, is engraved at the top right. To facilitate reading, the letters were highlighted in red paint, of which only a few traces are preserved: “Battataï, daughter of Yarhaï, son of Yaïrân. Alas! »” https://collections.geneve.ch/mah