Bowdoin College Homepage
Bowdoin College Museum of Art Logo and Wordmark

Advanced Search
Preview image of work. gypsum (Mosul alabaster),  Assyrian Relief: Winged Spirit or Apkallu and Sacred Tree from Kalhu (Nimrud), Iraq; Northwest Palace, Room T, panel 6 262
IIIF Logo
1860.4

Recommend keywords

Help us make our collections more accessible by providing keywords to describe this artwork. The BCMA uses the Getty Art & Architecture Thesaurus to provide consistent keywords. Enter a keyword in the field below and you will be prompted with a list of possible matching AAT preferred terms.

 
 

Assyrian Relief: Winged Spirit or Apkallu and Sacred Tree from Kalhu (Nimrud), Iraq; Northwest Palace, Room T, panel 6

Export record as: Plain text | JSON | CDWA-Lite | VRA Core 4

Artist

Artist Unidentified

Title

Assyrian Relief: Winged Spirit or Apkallu and Sacred Tree from Kalhu (Nimrud), Iraq; Northwest Palace, Room T, panel 6

Creation Date

ca. 875 BCE - 860 BCE

Century

9th century BCE

Dimensions

91 7/16 in. x 73 3/16 in. x 5 7/16 in. (232.2 cm. x 185.9 cm. x 13.8 cm.)

Classification

Sculpture

Creation Place

Ancient Near East, Assyrian

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

1860.4

The winged figure, apkallu, is often mentioned in Assyrian texts. With magical and protective powers, he serves to guard the king and his realm. The horned crown announces his divinity, though his portrait bears an uncanny resemblance to Ashurnasirpal himself. He holds a bucket in his left hand, while in his right, he sprinkles a sacred tree using a “purifier,” resembling the spathes, or flower sheaths, from the date palm. The spirit wears a tasseled kilt and richly embroidered robe, and projects a powerful pose. Tucked into the folds of his robe are two daggers and a whetstone for sharpening the blades. Armlets and rosette-bracelets wrap around the figure’s arms and wrists. Critical support for the Assyrian Collection at the Bowdoin College Museum of Art is provided by the Yadgar Family Endowment.

Additional Media

Additional Image recto
recto