chitralakshana, all about indian art and artists.

Royal encounter

By- Dr. Veena Shekar

I remember we often played a game when we were kids. It was called the 'Queen of Sheba’. Being a popular game in group picnics, it was much awaited by one and all. The game went something like this. It required the choice of a responsible person as the queen who would go on to make the most impossible demands. Two parties standing on either side of the queen would try and fulfil her demands in the time given and win accordingly.
Much though I wished I never got elected as the Sheban queen but have always wondered about her identity. Who was this queen of Sheba? Did she really exist or was she just a fictional character?
My surprise knew no bounds when browsing on the net, I found that a recent debate in a chat room was on the question of the existence of the queen of Sheba. No one knew for certain where the queen of Sheba was originally from. But most people pointed to Ethiopia. It was indeed a bit frustrating that even at the turn of the millennium the existence of the queen of Sheba had remained a mystery. On browsing further I finally landed on a few sites that were encouraging. One particular site by Torrey Philemon at www.ancientcities.com gives an extensive outline of the story of the queen of Sheba. www.detnews.com and www.encyclopedia.com and www.geocities.com also throw light on the country of Sheba and its early history.
The queen of Sheba appears to have been a great administrator, resourceful and adventurous. She has been a source of inspiration to writers, artists and historians since ages. The most interesting part of the queen's story is her meeting with King Solomon of Israel, hailed by many as the meeting of minds..
The Kebra Negast, the Abyssinian holy book, the Bible and Arabian folklore write in length about the meeting of the Sheban queen with King Solomon. The queen of Sheba also known as Makeda or Bilkis had a great thirst for knowledge and a penchant for wisdom. This passion took her on a 1,400 mile journey to Jerusalem. The head of the queen's trading caravans was a supplier of materials to King Solomon for the construction of a temple. On his return to Ethiopia he told the queen of Solomon's wisdom, power, and riches. At length the queen decided to see for herself and departed for Jerusalem with caravans of rich presents. When she reached her destination she found the report true and marvelled at Solomon's wisdom and justice. She conversed with him daily on almost every conceivable matter.
Soon the time came for her to return to her own country. Solomon was so impressed with her beauty and intelligence that he resolved to beget a son by her. He invited Sheba to a magnificent banquet consisting of ten highly seasoned courses. When the other guests had left, he suggested to the queen that she sleep in his tent. She agreed on the condition that he would not take her by force. Solomon agreed to comply with this request, provided that Sheba promise on her part not to take anything in the king's house. Solomon then took the bed on one side of the chamber and had the queen's bed prepared at the other end. Sheba soon awoke, for the seasoned food had made her very thirsty. She rose and drank from a bowl of water that had been placed in the chamber. Solomon seized her hand and accused her of having broken her oath. He then had his way with her.
That night, Solomon had a dream in which the sun departed from Israel and shone brilliantly over Ethiopia forever. Soon after this, the queen returned to her own country laden with the king's gifts. Nine months and five days later, Sheba gave birth to a son whom she called Ibn al-Hakim, ''son of the wise man", also known as Menelik. Many historians believe Menelik to be Nebuchanazzer, the Chaldean king of Babylon. Hence in the history of Israel the meeting of the Queen of Sheba with King Solomon is very significant.
Artist Piera Della Francesca, the early Renaissance Italian artist honours this biblical meeting in his beautiful painting Adoration of the Holy wood and the meeting of Solomon and the Queen of Sheba (a fresco, in San Francesco, Arezh) that creates a powerful effect of grandeur both in subject matter and in treatment. The meeting shows no pomp or vigour but a solemn, dignified appraisal of both parties facing each other. Another painting by Duncan Grant in Tate gallery, U.K, reveals the two monarchs in conversation. Painted in 1912 an effect of a meeting, resting solely on the intellectual side has been concentrated here but appears to be based more on the theatrical version of the Queen of Sheba. Mark Gertler's queen of Sheba in the nude is set in opulent background. It mixes reality with unreality and adopts a middle eastern approach. Being a mere picture of a woman lying in bed attempting to woo her lover it discloses nothing that can be compared with the wise Sheban queen. The story of the meeting of Solomon and Sheba is significant enough that prompted producers to make a couple of movies too. In 1959, a movie titled Solomon and Sheba casting Brynner and in 1995 a TV film featuring Jimmy Smits and Halle Berry were made but both the movies did not make any significant mark on the audience.
The existence of the queen of Sheba is surely not a fantasy. To the South of the Sultanate of Oman is Salalah, a major city in the Dhofar region, and one of Oman's important ports. This city is famous for its exquisite scenic beauty during the Kharif season when the entire city turns lush green. The city of Salalah came as a gift from Yemen to the Sultanate and is often spoken of as a treasure. Amidst the many splendours of this beautiful city stands an old archaeological discovery. In what can be called a ruined palace lays perhaps the remains of a legend that would appear in later Muslim and Christian folklore. Situated some 30 km to the east of Salalah is the port of Samhuram on which stands this once beautiful castle.
The archaeologists believe this to have been the palace of the queen of Sheba. Historians have proved that the country of Sheba or Saba located in Southwest Arabia is Abyssinia. Around 1000 B.C, Sheba was a wealthy country occupying several square miles of mountains, valleys and deserts of the present day Yemen and the Dhofar region. Some historians claim that Ethiopia on the western end of the Red sea was also part of Sheba 's territory. Sheba engaged in a lucrative caravan trade and the spices of Sheba were highly prized. Sheba was also famous for Frankincense and myrrh and was often sought by the neighbouring kingdoms.
The queen, it is believed, loved adventures and travelled a lot. Hence the building of a palace along the incense route is not uncommon. Built on a high mound, the palace has the appearance of a fort. Being constructed out of soap stone, some of its walls are still intact. The design and structure of the palace is simple but clearly discernible. A ramp leads us to the upper storey which has a well and a bath tub where the queen perhaps had her royal rinse. As we go a little higher, private rooms are seen exhibiting an excellent sense of design and proportion. What makes this palace interesting is that there are inscriptions on two stone blocks of the walls believed to be in the language of the Sheban period. The inscriptions have not been deciphered though. Another discovery was recently made in Nigeria of a mound which has also been assigned to the Sheban period proving the extent of Sheban power and mobility.
A lot of stories are also linked with the Sheban queen. While the Arabian folklore present fanciful stories of the queen involving teleportation and magic carpets, some believe the queen to have been a witch and a demoness. It is strange yet true that no one is aware of the personality of this queen. Some say she was black while others claim that she was fair and a raving beauty. One story portrays her as having shaggy legs forcing Solomon to invent a depilatory to remove hair from them.
Whatever be the fairy tales, it is a matter of prestige that a queen of such intelligence and wisdom lived in our midst. A lady sovereign who was not only a competent ruler but a person who maintained a capacity to live by her philosophical and religious principles. The queen of Sheba earned the respect of her people and remained a benevolent leader for several decades.

DECCAN HERALD February 25, 2001

Author

Dr. Veena shekar, is an art-historian and web designer. A voracious and avid reader of various subjects, Veena Shekar developed a keen interest and passion for art and art related subjects. This passion was enhanced further when she went to Paris in 1990, where she studied a few art courses. Her two years stay in the art-loving country immensely helped her pursue her career in the field of art-history.
Shekar holds a double post-graduate degree in English Literature and art-history and a post-graduate diploma in Journalism. She was awarded doctorate for her thesis " A study of historical paintings of karnataka between 1780 and 1830" in the year 2002. She is currently working on the manuscript for publication.
As a visiting lecturer at many art institutions of Bangalore, Veena Shekar’s contribution to art in general is note-worthy. She has been contributing to various magazines, newspapers and journals on human interest and art related topics and has designed a few art related websites worthy of mention.She is presently residing in Bangalore, India.

Send mail to Dr. Veena Shekar

Visit Veena shekar's Homepage



	Royal encounter By- Dr. Veena Shekar I remember we often played a game when we were kids. It was called the 'Queen of Sheba’. Being a popular game in group picnics, it was much awaited by one and all. The game went something like this. It required the choice of a responsible person as the queen who would go on to make the most impossible demands. Two parties standing on either side of the queen would try and fulfil her demands in the time given and win accordingly. Much though I wished I never got elected as the Sheban queen but have always wondered about her identity. Who was this queen of Sheba? Did she really exist or was she just a fictional character? My surprise knew no bounds when browsing on the net, I found that a recent debate in a chat room was on the question of the existence of the queen of Sheba. No one knew for certain where the queen of Sheba was originally from. But most people pointed to Ethiopia. It was indeed a bit frustrating that even at the turn of the millennium the existence of the queen of Sheba had remained a mystery. On browsing further I finally landed on a few sites that were encouraging. One particular site by Torrey Philemon at www.ancientcities.com gives an extensive outline of the story of the queen of Sheba. www.detnews.com and www.encyclopedia.com and www.geocities.com also throw light on the country of Sheba and its early history. The queen of Sheba appears to have been a great administrator, resourceful and adventurous. She has been a source of inspiration to writers, artists and historians since ages. The most interesting part of the queen's story is her meeting with King Solomon of Israel, hailed by many as the meeting of minds.. The Kebra Negast, the Abyssinian holy book, the Bible and Arabian folklore write in length about the meeting of the Sheban queen with King Solomon. The queen of Sheba also known as Makeda or Bilkis had a great thirst for knowledge and a penchant for wisdom. This passion took her on a 1,400 mile journey to Jerusalem. The head of the queen's trading caravans was a supplier of materials to King Solomon for the construction of a temple. On his return to Ethiopia he told the queen of Solomon's wisdom, power, and riches. At length the queen decided to see for herself and departed for Jerusalem with caravans of rich presents. When she reached her destination she found the report true and marvelled at Solomon's wisdom and justice. She conversed with him daily on almost every conceivable matter. Soon the time came for her to return to her own country. Solomon was so impressed with her beauty and intelligence that he resolved to beget a son by her. He invited Sheba to a magnificent banquet consisting of ten highly seasoned courses. When the other guests had left, he suggested to the queen that she sleep in his tent. She agreed on the condition that he would not take her by force. Solomon agreed to comply with this request, provided that Sheba promise on her part not to take anything in the king's house. Solomon then took the bed on one side of the chamber and had the queen's bed prepared at the other end. Sheba soon awoke, for the seasoned food had made her very thirsty. She rose and drank from a bowl of water that had been placed in the chamber. Solomon seized her hand and accused her of having broken her oath. He then had his way with her. That night, Solomon had a dream in which the sun departed from Israel and shone brilliantly over Ethiopia forever. Soon after this, the queen returned to her own country laden with the king's gifts. Nine months and five days later, Sheba gave birth to a son whom she called Ibn al-Hakim, ''son of the wise man", also known as Menelik. Many historians believe Menelik to be Nebuchanazzer, the Chaldean king of Babylon. Hence in the history of Israel the meeting of the Queen of Sheba with King Solomon is very significant. Artist Piera Della Francesca, the early Renaissance Italian artist honours this biblical meeting in his beautiful painting Adoration of the Holy wood and the meeting of Solomon and the Queen of Sheba (a fresco, in San Francesco, Arezh) that creates a powerful effect of grandeur both in subject matter and in treatment. The meeting shows no pomp or vigour but a solemn, dignified appraisal of both parties facing each other. Another painting by Duncan Grant in Tate gallery, U.K, reveals the two monarchs in conversation. Painted in 1912 an effect of a meeting, resting solely on the intellectual side has been concentrated here but appears to be based more on the theatrical version of the Queen of Sheba. Mark Gertler's queen of Sheba in the nude is set in opulent background. It mixes reality with unreality and adopts a middle eastern approach. Being a mere picture of a woman lying in bed attempting to woo her lover it discloses nothing that can be compared with the wise Sheban queen. The story of the meeting of Solomon and Sheba is significant enough that prompted producers to make a couple of movies too. In 1959, a movie titled Solomon and Sheba casting Brynner and in 1995 a TV film featuring Jimmy Smits and Halle Berry were made but both the movies did not make any significant mark on the audience. The existence of the queen of Sheba is surely not a fantasy. To the South of the Sultanate of Oman is Salalah, a major city in the Dhofar region, and one of Oman's important ports. This city is famous for its exquisite scenic beauty during the Kharif season when the entire city turns lush green. The city of Salalah came as a gift from Yemen to the Sultanate and is often spoken of as a treasure. Amidst the many splendours of this beautiful city stands an old archaeological discovery. In what can be called a ruined palace lays perhaps the remains of a legend that would appear in later Muslim and Christian folklore. Situated some 30 km to the east of Salalah is the port of Samhuram on which stands this once beautiful castle. The archaeologists believe this to have been the palace of the queen of Sheba. Historians have proved that the country of Sheba or Saba located in Southwest Arabia is Abyssinia. Around 1000 B.C, Sheba was a wealthy country occupying several square miles of mountains, valleys and deserts of the present day Yemen and the Dhofar region. Some historians claim that Ethiopia on the western end of the Red sea was also part of Sheba 's territory. Sheba engaged in a lucrative caravan trade and the spices of Sheba were highly prized. Sheba was also famous for Frankincense and myrrh and was often sought by the neighbouring kingdoms. The queen, it is believed, loved adventures and travelled a lot. Hence the building of a palace along the incense route is not uncommon. Built on a high mound, the palace has the appearance of a fort. Being constructed out of soap stone, some of its walls are still intact. The design and structure of the palace is simple but clearly discernible. A ramp leads us to the upper storey which has a well and a bath tub where the queen perhaps had her royal rinse. As we go a little higher, private rooms are seen exhibiting an excellent sense of design and proportion. What makes this palace interesting is that there are inscriptions on two stone blocks of the walls believed to be in the language of the Sheban period. The inscriptions have not been deciphered though. Another discovery was recently made in Nigeria of a mound which has also been assigned to the Sheban period proving the extent of Sheban power and mobility. A lot of stories are also linked with the Sheban queen. While the Arabian folklore present fanciful stories of the queen involving teleportation and magic carpets, some believe the queen to have been a witch and a demoness. It is strange yet true that no one is aware of the personality of this queen. Some say she was black while others claim that she was fair and a raving beauty. One story portrays her as having shaggy legs forcing Solomon to invent a depilatory to remove hair from them. Whatever be the fairy tales, it is a matter of prestige that a queen of such intelligence and wisdom lived in our midst. A lady sovereign who was not only a competent ruler but a person who maintained a capacity to live by her philosophical and religious principles. The queen of Sheba earned the respect of her people and remained a benevolent leader for several decades. DECCAN HERALD February 25, 2001 Author Dr. Veena shekar, is an art-historian and web designer. A voracious and avid reader of various subjects, Veena Shekar developed a keen interest and passion for art and art related subjects. This passion was enhanced further when she went to Paris in 1990, where she studied a few art courses. Her two years stay in the art-loving country immensely helped her pursue her career in the field of art-history. Shekar holds a double post-graduate degree in English Literature and art-history and a post-graduate diploma in Journalism. She was awarded doctorate for her thesis " A study of historical paintings of karnataka between 1780 and 1830" in the year 2002. She is currently working on the manuscript for publication. As a visiting lecturer at many art institutions of Bangalore, Veena Shekar’s contribution to art in general is note-worthy. She has been contributing to various magazines, newspapers and journals on human interest and art related topics and has designed a few art related websites worthy of mention.She is presently residing in Bangalore, India. Send mail to Dr. Veena Shekar Visit Veena shekar's Homepage