Tara’that statue to return to Sana’a [Archives:2007/1096/Front Page]

SANA'A, Oct. 20 ) National Museum director Abdulaziz Al-Jindari has announced that the bronze statue “Tara'that” will return to Sana'a later this month after being out of Yemen since December 2003, when it was taken to Paris for restoration under an agreement between the General Authority of Antiquities and the Louvre Museum in Paris.

Al-Jindari leaves for Paris on Monday to attend the process of wrapping and setting up the statue, which he says will be brought back to Sana'a on the 26th of this month after being restored and displayed in the Louvre's Near East Hall.

He went on to say that restoration discovered Al-Musnad handwriting on the statue's body naming it Tara'that and referring to the one who presented it to the Sabaean Moon God. It further revealed that there was a unique artificial technique at that time which seems to be matchless in contemporary civilizations in terms of size, indicating that there aren't more than five similar sized statues worldwide.

Supposedly dating to the fifth century B.C., the statue was transported to Paris following an agreement between the National Museum and the Louvre, which was charged with restoring and maintaining it.

Yemen's Culture Ministry acquired the statue in mid-2004 from Al-Jawf, along with a collection of valuable antiquities. It remained in storage at the National Museum until being sent to Paris for restoration and study.

Al-Jindari notes that the National Museum's 2007 plan includes restoring 10 bronze pieces and 120 pieces of palm fronds on which appear some writings from Al-Zabur and date to pre-Islam times. Restorations will commence at the earliest possible time within budget allowances approved by the authority.
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