Assyrian Relief: Two Winged, Eagle-Headed Spirits from Kalhu (Nimrud), Iraq; Northwest Palace, Room H, panel 30
Creation Date
ca. 875 BCE - 860 BCE
Century
9th century BCE
Dimensions
84 1/4 x 6 1/4 in. (214 x 15.8 cm)
Object Type
bas-relief
Creation Place
Ancient Near East, Assyria
Medium and Support
gypsum (Mosul alabaster)
Credit Line
Gift of Dr. Henri Byron Haskell, Medical School Class of 1855. Critical support for the Assyrian Collection at the Bowdoin College Museum of Art is provided by the Yadgar Family Endowment.
Copyright
Public Domain
Accession Number
1860.1
These eagle-headed, winged figures are important protective spirits for the Assyrians and are dressed from the neck down as the human-headed apkallu. Equipped with daggers and whetstones, both figures hold buckets in their lowered hands with cone-shaped “purifiers” held aloft. The purifiers recall the form of the male date-palm spathe (flower sheath), and, hence, hold a special sexual meaning. The figures are in the act of ‘fertilizing’ the sacred tree between them. The stylized tree with its trunk, tendrils, and palmettes, probably represents the fertility of the land and was a popular motif during the reign of Ashurnasirpal. The ‘Standard Inscription’ of Ashurnasirpal, common to many of his reliefs, runs across the upper half of the sculpture. It records the King’s titles, ancestry, and achievements.
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