Phocas (sculptor)

Phocas was a (probably Greek) sculptor who lived and worked perhaps around AD 200.

Phocas is only known from a signature written in Greek , which is on the left knee of a larger than life statue of Tha'ran , son of the king of Saba Dhamar'ali Yuhabirr . The inscription reads: Phocas made (them) . A bronze statue of Dhamar'ali Yuhabirr was also found. Both works are kept in a predominantly Hellenistic style. Another inscription says: Lahay'amm put (them) together . According to this, Phokas was a Greek sculptor who created both works on behalf of the ruler and his son, while Lahay'amm was a local blacksmith who assembled the works, which were probably created in individual parts in the eastern Mediterranean region. Another possibility is that Phokas worked locally and Lahay'amm was his local assistant. The statues were found in An-Nachlat al-Hamra in 1931 .

literature

• K. Weidemann: Kings from Yemen - Two late antique bronze statues , Mainz 1983