Stele Showing the Storm-God
Baal
Ras-Shamra, formerly Ugarit
14th-13th centuries BC
Sandstone
H 1.42 m
AO 15775
Description
"The god is shown brandishing a mace and a spear, the extremity
of which is tipped with vegetation; this is an allusion to the
beneficial effects of the rain released by the storm. A young and
popular god, celebrated in beautiful mythological texts discovered
at Ugarit, Baal is also the tutelary god the dynasty: the king of
Ugarit is shown in prayer beneath the arms of Baal. The style is
both attentive to anatomical detail and nobly hieratic. This stele
of Baal is one of the finest pieces of sculpture that has come down
to us from Oriental antiquity."
- Louvre