stele

(noun)

A tall, slender stone monument, often with writing carved into its surface

Related Terms

Examples of stele in the following topics:

  • Stelae in the Greek High Classical Period

    • A stele (plural stelae) is a large slab of stone or wood erected for commemorative and funerary purposes.
    • The Grave Stele of Hegeso from the Kerameikos Cemetery outside of Athens depicts a seated woman.
    • The stele dates to 400 BCE, and the woman fits the stylistic representation of women at this time.
    • The Grave Stele of Dexileos (390 BCE) in the Kerameikos Cemetery of Athens is another demonstration of how stele reliefs reflect the sculpture style and motifs of the period.
    • This stele recalls the carved relief of Athenian horsemen from the Ionic frieze of the Parthenon.

  • Art of the Maya

    • Stele H in the Great Plaza at Copan represents one of the city's foremost leaders, 18-Rabbit (reigned from 695-738 CE).
    • On Stele H, 18-Rabbit wears an elaborate headdress and ornamented kilt and sandals.
    • The dense, deeply carved ornamental details that frame the face and figure stand almost clear of the main stone block and wrap around the sides of the stele.
    • The stele was originally painted - remnants of red paint are visible on many stelae and buildings in Copan.
    • Stele H portraying the ruler 18-Rabbit.

  • Sculpture in Mesopotamia

    • The Victory Stele of Naram Sin provides an example of the increasingly violent subject matter in Akkadian art, a result of the violent and oppressive climate of the empire.
    • On the right hand side of the stele, cuneiform script provides narration.
    • The king stands in the center of the stele wearing a horned headpiece.

  • Humans and Their Deities

    • In some cases, this included a fusion of animal form with the face of the king or queen (as in the Hatshepsut-Sphinx, ) or as the god-king victors of an epic battle, as in the stele of Naran-Sin of Akkad (the first Mesopotamian king to claim divinity for himself, ).
    • Naram-Sin, the first Mesopotamian king known to have claimed divinity for himself (worshiped as the Akkadian moon god), depicted on his victory stele

  • The Mesopotamian Cultures

    • Battle formations on a fragment of the Stele of the Vultures.

  • Architecture of Aksun and Lalibela

    • The largest number are in the Northern Stelae Park, ranging to the grand size of the Great Stele (33 meters high, 2.35 meters deep, and 520 tons), which is believed to have fallen and broken during construction.

  • Mycenaean Metallurgy

    • The graves were often marked by a mound of earth above them and grave stele.