Download Stele of NaramSin, AKKADIAN, 2300

Three NEAR EAST pieces to remember…
Stele of NaramSin
Votive of Gudea
Stele of Hammurabi
AKKADIAN
NEO-SUMERIAN
BABYLONIAN
2300-2200 BCE
2141-2122 BCE
c1780 BCE
A stele is a monument composed
of a single column or shaft
typically erected to commemorate
an important event or person. The
Akkadians 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's title 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
Lullubi peoples of present-day
Iran.
Stele of NaramSin, AKKADIAN,
2300-2200 BCE
Originally this stele was erected in
the town of Sippar, centre of the
cult of the Sun god, to the north of
Babylon. lt illustrates the victory
over the Lullabis, mountain people
of western lran by Naram-Sin, who
claimed to be the universal
monarch 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 the
foot of a peak; above it the solar
disk figures several times, and the
king pays homage to it for his
victory.
Stele of Hammurabi
BABYLONIAN
c. 1780 BCE
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 12
tablets. 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.
Gudea of Lagash
2141-2122 B.C.; Mesopotamian, Neo-Sumerian period; 41 cm
(16 1/8 in.);
Of all the rulers of ancient Mesopotamia, Gudea, ensi
(governor) 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.
His inscriptions 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 of the ensi and a shawl-like
fringed robe with tassles. The serene, heavily lidded eyes and
calm pose create a powerful portrait of this pious ruler.
A Sumerian cuneiform inscription on the back describes the
building of a temple to the goddess Geshtinanna, consort of
Gudea's personal god, and the making of this statue for her.
Around 2120 BCE, Mesopotamia was
ruled by Guti until 2180 when they
overpowered the Akkadian Empire. The
capital of this was Lagash on the Tigris
River. 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
prompted simpler, 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 of dreams. 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.
Assurnasirpal II Killing Lions. From Palace Complex of
Assurnasirpal II, Nimrud, Iraq. c. 850 BCE. NEO-ASSYRIAN
Ziggurat of Ur
Sumerian
About 2100 BCE
Ziggurat of Ur
Sumerian
About 2100 BCE
The Ziggurat was built as a place of worship, dedicated to the moon god Nanna
The name Nanna is Sumerian for "illuminator.“ It’s in the Sumerian city of Ur in
ancient Mesopotamia.
Votive figures by unknown Sumerian sculptors. Sumer, 2700 to
2500 B.C. Stone. Tallest figure 30 inches high.
Sargon I – First AKKADIAN Ruler
Sargon 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.
Human-headed Winged Bull
Assyrian
Reign 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 be
standing still. Thus it is actually
represented with five, rather than four,
legs.
The hybrid or composite iconography is powerfully evocative of
strength (body of lion / bull), speed (an eagle's wings) and
intelligence (human head).