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Victorious Assyrian Soldiers

Syria: Tell Ta'yinat, Building VII; Iron Age (Amuq Phase O), ca. 750-725 B.C. Limestone. Excavated by the Oriental Institute, 1936. "After they had conquered Tell Ta'yinat, the Assyrians carved these reliefs and used them to decorate a palace or public structure. The scene shows victorious Assyrian soldiers carrying the cut-off heads of their defea...

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Human-headed Winged Bull

A human-headed winged bull, also known as a lamassu, is a mythical creature with the body of a bull, the wings of an eagle, and the head of a human. It is a common motif in Mesopotamian art, and it was often used to guard the entrances to palaces and temples. Lamassus were believed to be powerful protective spirits, and they were also associated wi...

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Frieze of Striding Lions

Iran: Persepolis; Achaemenid Period; Reign of Darius I/Xerxes, ca. 522-465 B.C. Limestone. Excavated by the Oriental Institute, 1932-4. "An Achaemenid artisan carved this piece of stone to represent part of a cloth canopy that was decorated with woven or appliquéd figures of rosettes and striding lions. A pair of diamonds joined as a figure-eight ...

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Female Figurine from Ur

Iraq: Tell Asmar, Trench D; Ur III/Isin-Larsa Period, ca. 2100-1800 B.C. Baked clay. Excavated by the Oriental Institute, 1935-6. "Figurines like this one have been found in the excavated remains of Mesopotamian houses, temples, and other public buildings of the early second millennium B.C. They have no definite divine attributes and their exact fu...

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Court Servant with Covered Tray

From The Detroit Institute of Arts: Court Servant with Covered Tray; 5th century B.C.; Iranian, Achaemenid Dynasty; Limestone; height 54.6 cm (21 1/2 in.); Gift of Lillian Henkel Haass; 31.340. "This relief depicts a Persian court servant holding a covered tray on his shoulder. He wears the distinctive Persian garment of long sleeves and draped ski...

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Cylinder Seal

Iraq; Akkadian Period; Reign of Naramsin or Sharkalishari, ca. 2254-2193 B.C. Black stone. Oriental Museum. Purchased in New York, 1947. "This cylinder seal was dedicated to a little-known goddess, Ninishkun, who is shown interceding on the owner's behalf with the great goddess Ishtar. Ishtar places her right foot upon a roaring lion, which she res...

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Foundation Slab of Xerxes

Iran: Persepolis, Garrison quarters; Achaemenid Period; Reign of Xerxes, ca. 485-465 B.C. Gray limestone. Excavated by the Oriental Institute, 1935. "This stone tablet inscribed with Babylonian cuneiform characters lists the nations under Persian rule shortly after the uprisings that occurred when Xerxes came to the throne."...

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Assyrian Soldiers Towing a Boat

Assyrian Soldiers Towing a Boat is a bas-relief sculpture from the palace of King Sargon II at Khorsabad, dating to the 8th century BCE. It depicts a group of Assyrian soldiers towing a boat through a shallow river. The soldiers are naked, except for helmets and belts, and they are pulling the boat with ropes. The boat is carrying a load of supplie...

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Cup Supported by Heroes and Animals

Iraq: Tell Agrab, Shara Temple; Jamdat Nasr/Early Dynastic I, ca. 3100-2750 B.C. Gypsum (?). Excavated by the Oriental Institute, 1935-6. This elaborate vessel was discovered in the Shara Temple where it was probably used to place offerings before the god. The decoration of its openwork support shows a hero, naked except for a double-strand belt, g...

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Whetstone with bronze handle

Luristan culture, about 1000-700 BC This is a whetstone, used to sharpen weapons and tools of bronze and iron. It dates to the early first millennium BC. Although by this time the use of iron had become widespread, bronze remained one of the most commonly used metals. Normally they were very simple tools: just a stone perforated at the top and fit...

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