the near east pieces to remember

7/28/2019 The Near East Pieces to Remember

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Three NEAR EAST pieces to remember

Stele of NaramSin

AKKADIAN

2300-2200 BCE

Votive of Gudea

NEO-SUMERIAN

2141-2122 BCE

Stele of Hammurabi

BABYLONIAN

c1780 BCE


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A stele is a monument composed ofa single column or shaft typically

erected to commemorate an

important event or person. TheAkkadians under Sargon dominated

the Sumerians about 2300 BC.

Naram-Sin was Sargon's grandson.

The god-like Akkadian kings ruled

with absolute authority. Naram-Sin'stitle was "King of the Four Quarters"

meaning "Ruler of the World."

Damaged on both the top and

bottom, Naram-Sin's stele depicts

the king's defeat of the Lullubipeoples of present-day Iran.

Stele of NaramSin, AKKADIAN

2300-2200 BCE


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lt illustrates the victory over the

Lullabis, mountain people of

western lran by Naram-Sin, who

claimed to be the universalmonarch and was deified during

his lifetime. He had himself

depicted climbing the mountain at

the head of his troops. His helmet

bears the horns emblematic of

divine power. Although it is worn,

his face is expressive of the ideal

human conqueror, a convention

imposed on artists by the

monarchy. The king tramples on

the bodies of his enemies at thefoot of a peak; above it the solar

disk figures several times, and the

king pays homage to it for his

victory.


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Stele of Hammurabi

BABYLONIAN

c. 1780 BCE


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The top portion, shown here,

depicts Hammurabi with Shamash,

the sun god. Shamash is presenting

to Hammurabi a staff and ring,which symbolize the power to

administer the law. Hammurabi, with

the help of his impressive

Babylonian army, conquered his

rivals and established a unified

Mesopotamia. He proved to be as

great an administrator as he was a

general.

The code of Hammurabi contained

282 laws, written by scribes on 12tablets. Unlike earlier laws, it was

written in Akkadian, the daily

language of Babylon, and could

therefore be read by any literate

person in the city.


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Gudea of Lagash2141-2122 B.C.; NEO-SUMERIAN 16 1/8 in.

Of all the rulers of ancient Mesopotamia, Gudea,Ruler of Lagash, emerges the most clearly across the

millennia due to the survival of many of his religious

texts and statues. He ruled his city-state in southeast

Iraq for twenty years, bringing peace and prosperity

at a time when the Guti, tribesmen from the

northeastern mountains, occupied the land. Hisinscriptions describe vast building programs of

temples for his gods.

This statuette depicts the governor in worship before

his gods wearing the persian-lamb fur cap and a

shawl-like fringed robe with tassles.

A Sumerian cuneiform inscription on the back

describes the building of a temple to the goddess

Geshtinanna, Gudea's personal god, and the making

of this statue for her.


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Around 2120 BCE, Mesopotamia was

ruled by Guti until 2180 when they

overpowered the Akkadian Empire. The

capital of this was Lagash on the TigrisRiver. Here the people rebuilt temples

and placed votive statues in them. At

this time period statues were carved

from diorite, a very hard stone that is

very difficult to work with. This promptedsimpler, more compact forms for

portraits. Twenty of these survived, but

all look relatively similar to Gudea's

face. This piece was dedicated by him

to the goddess of interpretation ofdreams. Imposing and impressive, this

statue is monumental although it is only

2.5 feet tall. The sculptor's top heavy

style of the people is common of

Mesoptamia.


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This sculpture belongs to a series of diorite

statues commissioned by Gudea, ensi

(governor) of the city of Lagash. Gudea is

depicted in a seated pose with his hands

folded in a traditional gesure of greetingand attentiveness. The Sumerian

inscription on his robe lists the various

temples that he built or renovated in

Lagash and names the statue itself,

Gudea, the man who built the temple, may

his life be long. The name of the statue

reinforces its communicative purpose,

which was to secure or commemorate the

benevolence of a deity.

Text written on the pedestal of

the Gudea exhibit, Met Museum

of Art (NYC)


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Assurnasirpal II Killing Lions. From Palace Complex ofAssurnasirpal II, Nimrud, Iraq. c. 850 BCE. NEO-ASSYRIAN


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Ziggurat of UrSumerian

About 2100 BCE


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The Ziggurat was built as a place of worship, dedicated to the moon god Nanna

The name Nanna is Sumerian for "illuminator. Its in the Sumerian city of Ur in

ancient Mesopotamia.

Ziggurat of Ur

Sumerian

About 2100 BCE


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Votive figures by unknown Sumerian sculptors. Sumer, 2700 to 2500 B.C.

Stone. Tallest figure 30 inches high.


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Sargon I First AKKADIAN RulerSargon is regarded as one of the first individuals in recorded history to create a

multiethnic, centrally ruled empire, and his dynasty controlled Mesopotamia for

around a century and a half.


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Human-headed Winged Bull

AssyrianReign of Sargon II, 721-705 BCE

This colossal sculpture was one of a

pair that guarded the entrance to the

throne room of King Sargon II. A

protective spirit known as a"lamassu", it is shown as a composite

being with the head of a human, the

body and ears of a bull, and the wings

of a bird. When viewed from the side,

the creature appears to be walking;

when viewed from the front, to bestanding still. Thus it is actually

represented with five, rather than four,

legs.


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The hybrid or composite iconography is powerfully evocative

of strength (body of lion / bull), speed (an eagle's wings) and

intelligence (human head).

the near east pieces to remember

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