Near Eastern Flashcards
Sumerian, Presentation of offerings to Inanna (Warka Vase), ca. 3200-3000 BCE
Uruk, present day Warka, Iraq, alabaster, just over 3 feet high, weighing 600 pounds, one of a pair of vases
1st great narrative relief in three registers- bottom to top= simple to complex; bottom: alternating plants, grain (barley) and reeds, important agricultural harvests; rhythm in alternation, echoed in next register of male and female sheep above, important livestock in agrarian economy, next register naked men in procession, bringing abundance of animals and crops to thank deity, men in profile w/ legs & arms, eyes frontal
top band is largest and most complex: man and woman face each other; woman has robe, long hair- symbolizes goddess Inanna, goddess of love, fertility and war; reed bundles behind her are her symbols; man she faces is nearly entirely broken off- he is likely a king (long skirt, beard?); behind reed bundles are horned and bearded rams, platforms with statues; left statue carries cuneiform sign for EN or chief priest; behind rams are tribute gifts
Uruk city priest-king celebrates Inanna; sacred marriage of king as chief priest and goddess- union ensures fertility of crops, animals, people- abundance behind rams- votive offering as king responsible for wealth of city-state, carried during New Year’s festival
composite view, hierarchy of scale
Sumerian, Standard of Ur, ca. 2600 BCE
Muqaiyir, Iraq
city-state of Ur; in Royal Tombs, intentionally buried as part of an elaborate ritual; originally believed to be military standard brought on a pole into battle; small enough to be carried, now maybe thought to be music box?
cities possible becaue of agriculture= increased organization of society- priests, rulers, artisans- not everyone in fields
peace side: poorest people on lowest register, wealthiest figures on top, animals brought to sacrifice, war booty- collection of king for city; hierarchy of scale- king at top, seated on chair; figures joining king in libation- festivity, banquet, religious ceremony; even within top register one sees three levels of society due to scaling
war side- four chariots on bottom, crush enemies under horse, can see blood, mechanism of chariot wheels; walk to canter to full gallop of horses left to right; middle register- soldiers ready for battle, regular placement gives sense of order, discipline; middle of register see the battle- slaying of enemies; top- king, with soldiers, attendants, bringing wounded and bleeding prisoners of war
everyone in profile- eye is frontal, shoulders squared, feet pushing in one direction, like Egyptian composite view
wood inlaid with shell, lapis lazuli, red limestone
Sumerian, Bull-Headed Lyre, ca. 2600 BCE
present day Muqaiyir, Iraq
found in Royal Tombs, with king to entertain in afterlife, along with musicians sacrificed to play lyre in grave with him
gold leaf, lapis lazuli, over wooden core, 5’5”
king-priest= strength, virility
cascading blue beard= anthropomorphizes beast and is associated with power of river waves
sound box= afterlife images, showing what can happen there, promotes idea of immortality; heroic feats, anthropomorphized animals- hero wrestling two man-bulls, jackal playing zither, bear steadying lyre, gazelle with goblets- animals act like people- Aristotle- we all have animal traits which can be seen depending on what animal we look like
Neo-Sumerian, Ziggurat of Ur, ca. 2100 BCE
(Tell el-Muqayyar, Iraq)
ziggurat= high, four-sided platform topped by temple with cella (central hall) w/images of gods/goddesses; most distinctive architectural invention of Ancient Near East, Ziggurat at Ur is one of the largest and best preserved
dedicated to Nanna, moon goddess, patron god of city
mud-brick covered with baked bricks laid with bitumen (naturally occurring tar)
three sets of monumental stairs converging at entrance gate of first platform, then single staircase rises to second terrace, which supported a platform on which a temple and final and highest terrace stood
platform walls slope outwards to prevent rainwater puddles- Nanna temple at top did not survive
highest point in city by far, visible for miles; citizens bring agricultural surplus, receive food allotments; spiritual and physical nourishment
Babylonian, Stele of Hammurabi, ca 1780 BC (Shush, Iran)
black basalt, 3500 lines of cuneiform script (top to bottom, right to left, in three parts, first is prologue)
written in Akkadian language, court language of the Babylonians
In top relief: Investiture of Hammurabi- king is smaller, faces flame-shouldered sun god Shamash- god of justice who sits on throne under Shamash’s feet- representation of mountains; gives king signs of power- scepter and ring- divine laws- the authority comes from Shamash
composite view- frontal chest, profile eyes- gestural clarity
Hammurabi Code- re-establishes centralized govt; tells us what was important to Babylonians and their culture, many laws deal with agriculture, family life, points of tension in society
more than 300 laws, very particular, listed from judgments already meted out (legal precedents); in form of action and consequence; most related to property- death for stealing, burglary, slaves
eye for eye (assault), son strike father, hand hewn (domestic)
epilogue speaks to posterity of king, of importance of rule, will be remembered for all time
Assyrian, Ashurnasirpal II Killing Lions, ca. 875-860 BCE (Nimrud, Iraq)
glorify ruler, demonstrating his prowess as warrior and military leader- warrior defeating king of beasts-alabaster relief
lion=royalty/kingship, reinforce stability of ruler
ceremonial hunt, well-orchestrated and controlled, release only one lion at a time, protected by his men, enclosed area, can easily get away
trampling defeated foe under chariot- back to Sumerians (war side Standard of Ur)- well-established iconography
though lion rears at diagonal/balanced gazes of king and charioteer on vertical axis, balance and halt motion of horses, also reinforces stability and permanence of king
Assyrian, Lamassu, ca. 720-705 BCE (Khorsbad, Iraq)
from citadel of Sargon II, ward off enemies, protect inhabitants of city, meant to strike terror into palace visitors, limestone, 13’11” high
lamassu=palace guardian- bearded head of man, body of lion/bull, wings of eagle, horned headdress of god (goes back to Akkadians)
partly in round, combined view- animal at rest and in motion- 5 legs
bearded man=Sumerian Bull-headed lyre-bull=kingship
human/animal form= divine force, power at disposal of ruler
Neo-Babylonian, Ishtar Gate, ca. 575 BCE
(Babylon, Iraq- now reconstructed Berlin museum)- part of eight double gates, gate is at end of long processional way leading to Hanging Gardens, 40’ high
from book of Daniel in Bible- Jews-captivity under Nebuchadnezzer II (Nabonidus was actual ruler)- enormous building campaign, ruler of Babylon, fortified and strengthened 11 miles of wall around city
Also created palaces, Hanging Gardens, another one of the Seven Wonders of Ancient World; Hanging Gardens built for wife Amytis of Media
crenellated (notched) tower walls for defense
blue-glazed brick would have been very brilliant in the sun- faience- used copper to create brilliant blue color
lions (represent goddess Ishtar)- ferocious, fearful- fear lion and therefore fear the king, ancient bull (auroch- god Adad- associated with storms, fertility of lands, harvest)- terribly fierce; Mesopotamian dragons- composite beast of lion, eagle, serpent, tails have stinger like scorpion (dragons represent Marduk- patron god of city- Nebuchadnezzer associated self with Marduk), animals protect and provide for city; there is symmetry and order in representation
like Lamassu- one is destroyed if against king and his laws, face wrath of these mythical creatures
