Art of the Ancient Near

EastInstructor: Mrs. Christine Ege

Introduction to Art – DAD Department

11th March, 2015

MESOPOTAMIA

Mesopotamia

• Greek for “Between the Rivers”• Located between the Tigres and

Euphrates rivers• Modern day Iraq, Iran, Syria

• Is actually multiple kingdoms• Assyria• Akkad• Babylonia• Sumer

• Due to its geographic location Mesopotamia became the cradle of agriculture

• This is where the first major cities were formed

• Mesopotamia is where the agricultural and domestic revolution began• Wheat• Barley• Sheep • Goats

ARCHITECTURE

White Temple and Ziggurat Uruk, (ca. 3,200 – 3,000 BCE)Mud BrickModern Warka, Iraq

The Ziggurat• Created using mud, and bricks

• Platform stepped temples

• Some archaeologists believe that these structures were elevated to protect the temples from the flooding that happens in the region every year

• Were used to show off the power of the rulers

• The larger and taller the ziggurat the wealthier the ruler and city state

• Largest ziggurat believed to be The Tower of Babylon

• Believed to be the inspiration for Egypt’s pyramids

Nanna ZigguratArchitect Unknown (Ur, ca. 2100 – 2050 BCE)Mud Brick205 by 141 feet at the baseMuqaiyir, Iraq

Guardian Figures at Gate A of the Citadel of Sargon II During Its ExcavationArchitect Unknown, Dur Sharrukin, Iraq (ca. 721 – 706 BCE)Limestone

Guardian Figures• Created during the era of Sargon II, who created a new capital at Dur Sharrukin

• These guardian figures protect the entrance to the royal throne room

• This is where people would wait in order to see the king

• Known as Lamassus

• Bearded head of a man with the body of a lion or a bull, wings of an eagle, horned headdress of a god

• They were mean to be imposing and show the power and might of the king

Lion GateArchitect Unknown, Hattusa, Turkey (ca. 1400 BCE)Limestone

The Lions Gate• Found in the city of Hattusha

• Sculptures were engraved into the monoliths used on either side of the entry ways to the city

• Some of the sculptures are up to 7 feet tall

• Represent half human – half animal creatures

• Some statues are of only animals

• The most famous of these sculptures are the lions which flank the main gate

• These lions seem to be emerging from the stone

• Even though they have been weathered they are still impressive

• We can imagine that during the 1400 century BCE they would have been truly astounding

SCULPTURE

Statuettes of Two Worshipers (ca. 2,700 BCE)Square Temple at Eshnunna, Tell Asmar, IraqGypsum inlaid with shell and black limestoneMale figure – 2 feet 6 inchesIraq museum,Baghdadhttp://www.theiraqmuseum.com/pages/exhibitions-and-publications/

Votive Offerings• Votive offerings are religious objects which are created to give

to the gods as gifts

• The objects are usually small and placed around alters in temples

• They often represent the people who worshiped the gods and were meant to be a way for people to pray all the time

• These statuettes are exciting to archaeologists because they show a lot more detail in the human form, and often look different

• Although they look different they are highly stylized, with the same type of dress, facial expressions, and hair styles

• The variety and amount of small votive offerings which have been found show us that they played an important role in the religious practices of the people at the time

Statuettes of Worshipers (ca. 2,700 BCE)Square Temple at Eshnunna, Tell Asmar, IraqGypsum inlaid with shell and black limestoneMale figure – 2 feet 6 inchesIraq museum,Baghdadhttp://www.theiraqmuseum.com/pages/exhibitions-and-publications/

Votive Figures (ca. 2,700 BCE)Square Temple at Eshnunna, Tell Asmar, IraqGypsum inlaid with shell and black limestoneMale figure – 2 feet 6 inchesIraq museum,Baghdadhttp://www.theiraqmuseum.com/pages/exhibitions-and-publications/

Female Head (Inanna) (ca. 3,200 – 3,000 BCE)Uruk, Modern Warka, IraqMarble8 inches highIraq Museum, Baghdadhttp://www.theiraqmuseum.com/pages/exhibitions-and-publications/

Inanna• Construction

• The stone part of the head is only the front• The back was probably wood which would be

connected to the body of the rest of the statue• The eyes would have been filled with colored

shells and stones • Archaeologists also believe that the hair would

have been covered in gold leaf• This means that the white statue that we see now

would not be what the sculpture looked like at the time with was created in Sumer

• Meaning • Inanna was the Mesopotamian goddess of love

and war• She was the most important goddess• Creating her statue was an important part of

Sumerian ritual• The marble was imported from Persia, and was

very expensive

Head of ManArtist Unknown (Nineveh, Ca. 2300 – 2200 BCE)Copper Alloy36.5 cm heighIraq Museum, Baghdadhttp://www.theiraqmuseum.com/pages/exhibitions-and-publications/

Akkadian Ruler (Head of a Man)• We have very few artifacts from the Akkadian empire

• This copper head of a man believed to be an Akkadian ruler is therefore very unique and precious

• The facial features show a great leap forward in the human ability to depict humans

• The face is detailed but still highly stylized

• The damage to the face is believed to be intentional

• The eyes and ears are missing, because of this archaeologists believe that the people who destroyed it were trying to deprive the spirit inside the statue the ability to see and hear

Votive Statue of GudeaArtist Unknown (Girsu, Sumeria, Ca 2090 BCE)Diorite73.7 cm highMusee du Louvre, Paris Francehttp://genius.com/Musee-du-louvre-paris-votive-statue-of-gudea-annotated#note-3769485

Depicting Real People• One of the most detailed and interesting statues from Sumeria is

that of the ruler Gueda

• The form is highly stylized, and is meant to show off the most important parts of the human body (eyes, head, chest, and arms)

• What is interesting for art historians is the importance placed to the parts of the body which are showing.

• There is incredible detail in the arms, and in the face, as well as in the feet.

• This shows us that even though they want all people to look the same that they are interested in making the human form look at realistic as possible

• This is also one of the first times that we see human forms being mixed with written forms.

Votive Statue of GudeaArtist Unknown (Girsu, Sumeria, Ca 2090 BCE)Diorite73.7 cm highMusee du Louvre, Paris Francehttp://genius.com/Musee-du-louvre-paris-votive-statue-of-gudea-annotated#note-3769485

Votive Statue of Gudea (headless)Artist Unknown (Girsu, Sumeria, Ca 2090 BCE)Diorite73.7 cm highMusee du Louvre, Paris Francehttp://www.louvre.fr/en/oeuvre-notices/headless-statue-gudea-prince-lagash

ENGRAVINGS / STELLE

The Code of Hammurabi• Probably the most famous of all Mesopotamian works

• Is a large stele

• On the bottom is the code of Hammurabi inscribed in cuneiform• The first law code in the world• Hammurabi created this law code to help create order

in his empire• Origins of the “eye for an eye” concept• Hammurabi is mostly known for this code and stele

• On the top is an engraving of Hammurabi who is standing before Shamash (the god of justice)

• The combination of these engravings is what has made this stele so influential in art history

• It is one of the first times that art is being used for propaganda purposes

Stele with law code of Hammurabi Artist Unknown, Susa, Iran (ca. 1780 BCE)Basalt7 feet 4 inches highLouvre, Paris, Francehttp://www.louvre.fr/en/oeuvre-notices/law-code-hammurabi-king-babylon

Stele with law code of Hammurabi Artist Unknown, Susa, Iran (ca. 1780 BCE)Basalt7 feet 4 inches highLouvre, Paris, Francehttp://www.louvre.fr/en/oeuvre-notices/law-code-hammurabi-king-babylon

Warka VaseArtist Unknown, Uruk, Iraq (ca. 3200 – 3000 BCE)Alabaster3 feet ¼ inches highIraq Museum, Baghdadhttp://www.theiraqmuseum.com/pages/exhibitions-and-publications/

Warka Vase• One of the first examples of narrative relief

• This means that the images are organized in such a way that they tell a story

• Organized in three registers

• Lower strip shows the natural world (water, and water plants)

• Middle strip shows naked men offering baskets of food offerings to the goddess Inanna

• Upper strip shows the animal s such as rams and ewes

• This is believed to represent the marriage of the goddess Inanna and her consort Dumuzi

• The vase would have been presented during the New Years festivities in the city of Uruk

• The visual style of the vase is in profile, and is reminiscent of the drawing styles found throughout Europe during the Neolithic era

Victory Stele of Naram-SinArtist Unknown, Susa, Iran (ca. 2254 – 2218 BCE)Pink Sandstone6 feet 7 inches highLouvre, Paris, Francehttp://www.louvre.fr/en/oeuvre-notices/victory-stele-naram-sin

Victory Stele of Naram-Sin• Commemorates Naram-Sin’s victory over the Lullubi people of Iran

• We can see Naram-Sin standing over the corpses of his defeated enemies

• In the background we can see the mountains which represent the home of the Lullubi people

• At the top of the Stele the two suns represent the main goddesses of Susa. They show their agreement with the Susan domination of the people of Lullubi

• The higher level figure is shown in composite view

• The lower level figures are shown in profile

• This same style was used later in the early Egyptian empires

WRITING SYSTEMS

Cylinder Seal and Its Modern Impression ( From the Tomb of Queen Puabi) Artist Unknown (Ur, ca. 2,600 – 2,500 BCE)Lapis Lazuli4 cm high, 2 cm diameterUniversity of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, Philadelphia, USAhttp://www.penn.museum/sites/iraq/?page_id=503

Cunieform• One of the worlds first writing systems

• Consists of lines and dots placed in specific patterns to represent things

• These were often placed on cylinder seals

• Seals were pressed in to clay in order to leave their impression

• This was used for economic transactions throughout the region

• These seals have lasted a long time because the were created to last

• They were made from hard stones, and were usually small enough that they would not be easily damaged

• People also took pride in their seals, and therefore took care of them

OTHER

Standard of UrArtist Unknown, Royal Cemetery, Ur, Iraq (ca. 2600 BCE)Wood inlaid with shell, lapis lazuli, and red limestone8 feet x 1 foot and 7 inches British Museum, London, Englandhttp://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/highlights/highlight_objects/me/t/the_standard_of_ur.aspx

The Standard of Ur• Is one of the most important art historical

artifacts from the Mesopotamian era

• Images show the sides of a box of unknown use

• The peace side of the Standard of Ur (top image) shows a victory celebration• Read from the top to the bottom• Size of images varies depending on

their importance in society (this concept is found throughout the Ancient Near East)

• The war side of the Standard of Ur (bottom image) shows a battlefield victory• Read from the bottom to the top• Shows people presenting captives to

the king

Bull-headed lyre from tomb 789Artist Unknown, Royal Cemetery, Ur, Iraq (ca. 2600 BCE)Gold Leaf and lapis lazuli over a wooden core5 feet and 5 inches highUniversity of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, Philadelphia, USAhttp://www.penn.museum/sites/iraq/?page_id=58

Bull-Headed Lyre • Lyres are instruments (like harps) that were common throughout

the Ancient Near East

• They are often highly decorated

• The most famous one comes from the Royal Cemetery in Ur

• It is covered in lapis lazuli (blue colored), gold leaf, and ivory

• The imagery on the music box (solid bottom part), is shown in registers with mythical imagery found in each register

• The most important image in the register is the top one

• There is an image of two human headed bulls flanking a middle human figure

• This type of composition is called a heraldic composition

• The overall construction of this lyre tells us a lot about the wonderful craftsmanship found in Ur

Bull-headed lyre from tomb 789Artist Unknown, Royal Cemetery, Ur, Iraq (ca. 2600 BCE)Gold Leaf and lapis lazuli over a wooden core5 feet and 5 inches highUniversity of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, Philadelphia, USAhttp://www.penn.museum/sites/iraq/?page_id=58

PERSIA

Persia• One of the largest empires in the region

• Located mainly in modern day Iran, but it covered other areas in the region at one point or another• Including areas in Iraq, Syria, Greece,

and Turkey• At its largest it ranged from Northern

India to Southern Europe

• Came to the height of its power slightly after the height of the Mesopotamian Kingdoms

• They were known for their rule of law, ability to accept other cultures, and their monumental architecture

• Main sites are Persepolis, and Ctesiphon

• Persia was finally conquered by Alexander the Great from Macedonia

• The power of the Persian empire diminished after this, and was later replaced by the importance of the Greek city states

ARCHITECTURE

Aerial view of PersepolisPersepolis, Iran (ca 521 – 465 BCE)Stone and Brick60 feet high, 217 square feet, 36 colossal columns

Persepolis• Created during the era of Cyrus, Darius I,

and Xerxes (these are the most famous of Persian Emperors)

• The largest city of the Persian Empire

• Has a royal complex that includes housing and meeting halls

• Has a temple complex

• Includes gardens, ceremonial ways, and commercial centers

• This was mainly a city dedicated to governmental and religious purposes

• Because of this Persepolis was highly decorated with architectural ornamentation

• Persepolis was razed to the ground when Alexander the Great conquered the area

• He regretted the act directly after it was done, and decided to rebuild the city, but it never went back to its original glory

Aerial view of PersepolisPersepolis, Iran (ca 521 – 465 BCE)Stone and Brick60 feet high, 217 square feet, 36 colossal columns

Gardens• Large palatial gardens were very

important to the Persians and the Mesopotamians

• Gardens were important so that the emperors could show their ability to manipulate nature

• They lived in a very dry hot environment so their ability to create lush gardens showed their power, and riches

• The most important gardens are the mythical hanging gardens of Babylon

• They are one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, and are still yet to be discovered

• These gardens are sometimes larger than the palaces themselves

• They are very well designed and show us the incredible ability of Persian architects

Aerial view of PersepolisPersepolis, Iran (ca 521 – 465 BCE)Stone and Brick60 feet high, 217 square feet, 36 colossal columns

Palace of Shapur ICtesiphon, Iraq (ca. 250 CE)Stone and Brick

The Sasanians• Created after the rule of Alexander the

Great

• Created at a time when the Sasanians were trying to push the Greeks and Romans out of Persia

• Part of the way that the Sasanians used to show their superiority over the Greeks was with monumental architecture

• They constructed giant palaces and temples to show their citizens how rich they were and how much power they had

• The funny part about this is that the architectural styles that they were using to build their structures were based off of Greek and Roman designs brought to the area by Alexander the Great

• These include the use of the arch, and colonnaded areas

SCULPTURE

Intricate Architectural Design• Persepolis is not only known for its large scale

architecture but also its intricate detail

• This type of detail was very important to the Persians

• It added to the stylistic nature to Persepolis and made it different than all the other cities in the region

• One of the main ornamental designs found in Persepolis is found in its lintels

• These lintels were designed to look like the animals they worshiped

• Many of them are bulls, and lions

• The lintels are large and lie in a multi-layered system (one lintel on top of another)

• The main support of the beams lies usually on the back of the animal where the sculpture is most load baring

• The animals are almost always looking down

• It is believed that the animals are created this way, as if they are looking down on the people visiting the palace of Persepolis

Triumph of Shapur I over ValerianBishapur, Iran (ca. 260 CE)Rock-Cut Relief

Bishapur• One of the most underappreciated yet

important monuments of the Persian Empire

• This monument commemorates a major victory of the Persian Emperor Shapur I

• These engravings are monumental in scale and are carved directly into the side of a mountain pass

• They are placed along a crucial mountain pass where people traveling in an out of the Persian Empire would see it

• It was an important form of Persian propaganda

• It was meant to show the power and mite to all who were traveling along the road, and keep them from thinking about invading the empire

Gold• The Persians were known for their prowess in the field of

sculpture

• One of the areas they were especially good at was in molding and sculpting in gold

• To mold and sculpt in gold it takes a lot of technique and the amount of detail shows that the Persians had a lot of skill

• Many of the gold items they created were specifically related to religious purposes

• They belong in the field of votive offerings

• The one to the right is a votive offering that was used to hold wine that would be offered to the gods

ENGRAVINGS / STELLE

Apadana (Audience Hall) of Darius and XerxesPersepolis, Iran (ca. 518 – 460 BCE)Limestone

The Apadana• This was the ceremonial entry way to the

royal audience hall

• The hall is massive (60 feet high, and 217 square feet)

• There are 36 columns which are decorated with images of humans and animals

• The hall stood on a an elevated platform

• 2 Large stair cases lead up to the platform

• Bellow the stair cases are engravings of humans and animals

• The main part of the engravings show a line of citizens bringing offerings to the king

• On either side of the humans there are depictions of lions hunting local animals

• Both of these engravings are meant to prepare the viewers for the might of the Persian kings

Apadana (Audience Hall) of Darius and XerxesPersepolis, Iran (ca. 518 – 460 BCE)Limestone

Darius and Xerxes Receiving TributeDetail of a Relief from the Stairway Leading to the ApadanaPersepolis, Iran (ca. 491 – 486 BCE) Limestone2.54 metersCourtesy the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago

OTHER

Ishtar Gate (restored) (ca. 575 BCE)Babylon, IraqGlazed BrickVorderasiatisches Museum, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Berlin, Germanyhttp://www.smb.museum/en/museums-and-institutions/vorderasiatisches-museum/exhibitions/exhibition-detail/vorderasiatisches-museum-im-pergamonmuseum.html

The Ishtar Gate• Built during the reign of King

Nebuchadnezzar (reigned 604 – 562 BCE)

• Considered one of the seven wonders of the ancient world

• Was the ceremonial entrance to the city of Babylon

• Has a large arcuated opening surrounded by 2 large towers

• Includes glazed bricks, and molded reliefs of animals

• Each brick was molded and glazed separately and then put in its proper place on the wall

• Bricks would be molded and then have colored and clear glass placed on top of them. The bricks would them be fired (placed in a very hot oven) and then glass would melt, covering the top with color glaze

Images on the Gate• The images depicted on the bricks are

both real and imagined

• The most common images on the Ishtar Gate are:• Sacred Lion

• Associated with Ishtar• Goddess of fertility, love, war,

and sex• Dragons

• Associated with Marduk• Patron god of Babylon

• Bull• Associated with Adad• God of Rain and Thunder

• The mixture of human and animal forms is found throughout the art of Mesopotamia and Persia

• This is known as Animality or Hybrid Forms

Ishtar Gate (restored) (ca. 575 BCE)Babylon, IraqGlazed BrickVorderasiatisches Museum, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Berlin, Germanyhttp://www.smb.museum/en/museums-and-institutions/vorderasiatisches-museum/exhibitions/exhibition-detail/vorderasiatisches-museum-im-pergamonmuseum.html

Ishtar Gate (restored) (ca. 575 BCE)Babylon, IraqGlazed BrickVorderasiatisches Museum, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Berlin, Germanyhttp://www.smb.museum/en/museums-and-institutions/vorderasiatisches-museum/exhibitions/exhibition-detail/vorderasiatisches-museum-im-pergamonmuseum.html

VOCABULARY• Arcuated• Glazed• Animality • Hybrid forms• Ziggurat• Guardian figures • Lamassus• Flank • Weathered• Votive offerings• Statuettes • Complex

• Stylized• Realistic• Stele• Propaganda• Narrative relief• Registers• Visual style • Cunieform• Cylinder seals• Lyres• Lapis lazuli • Ornamentation• Razed