Ancient South Arabia

An incense burner gives a small object a connection to a large trading history. Ancient South Arabia included parts of present-day Yemen, Saudi Arabia and Oman. Incense moved through those regions and helped connect them with distant markets. The gallery includes carved stone and other material from that history. A calcite incense burner is one focus for looking closely at how a useful object could be given a particular shape and finish. The room also hosts changing displays of endangered cultural heritage studied for return. Those objects have a different recent history from the established collection. Read the account attached to the displayed group to understand where it came from and why it is here. An object’s presence in the Museum can be one stage in its care and return.