People in the funerary monuments of Palmyra were often shown holding various objects to signify their status, virtues, occupation, and life stage. Vessels for drinking, but also storing and offering food, were often shown as such attributes, but they have  rarely been the subject of focused study, even though there are over 400 documented examples in them across all types of funerary monuments. 

Based on the extensive data collection of the Palmyra Portrait Project (Aarhus University), which, since 2012, has compiled a comprehensive catalogue of Palmyrene sculptural production from the first three centuries AD, this monograph investigates the role of vessels in Palmyrene funerary sculpture. It highlights the critical perspectives on Palmyrene society, its values, rituals, and connections within broader cultural and economic networks, in the Roman Near East and beyond that vessels provide.

Bobou, O., Bucci, I. & Raja, R. (2026). Nurturing the Elite: Representations of Drinking, Eating, and Religious Vessels in Palmyrene Funerary Iconography, Studies in Palmyrene Archaeology and History 13 (Turnhout: Brepols).

Read more about the book series "Studies in Palmyrene Archaeology and History" and see all titles here.