Seated Statue of Gudea, prince of Lagash

Ancient Sumer Statue of Gudea the Prince

This statue of the prince of ancient Lagash with huis royal turban reveals how a ruler appeared during the time of ancient Sumer around 2100 BC.

Louvre Excerpt

Seated statue of Gudea, prince of Lagash
Tello, ancient Girsu
Neo-Sumerian period (c. 2125-2110 BC)
Diorite
H 45 cm
AO 3293

Description

"After the fall of the empire of Agade, Gudea, prince of Lagash, inaugurated a renaissance of Sumer, marked both by literary blossoming, corresponding to Sumerian classisism, and by an art of the court which exalted an ideal of serene piety and, one could almost say, of humanism. The independent prince, who never however carried a royal title, wears the pseudo-turban headdress, insignia of sovereignty. About twenty statues have been attributed to this prince. They were placed in the temples that the prince had built. They were destined to continue his prayerful presence. The expression of confident piety is characteristic of the humanistic ideal which animated the Neo-Sumerian princes, at the end of the 3rd millenium" - Louvre

Genesis 15:7 - And he said unto him, I [am] the LORD that brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give thee this land to inherit it.

Copyright © 2001 The Louvre Louvre Musée

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Bibliography on Ancient Art

The Art of Ancient Egypt, Revised by Robins, 272 Pages, Pub. 2008