Art & Images

Winged Creatures from Persepolis

Relief of winged creatures at the gate of Persepolis. Probably derived from Babylonian supernatural beings who guard the entrances to sacred places, and perhaps Babylonia is also the source for reconstituting the AchÃ"menid dynasty in terms of sacral kingship....

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Glazed tile relief from Palace at Susa

Glazed tile relief originally from the Persian winter palace at Susa, capital of Elam. 520-500 B.C. (Paris: Louvre). Another imperial guard. The light military dress was designed for offensive combat, to rush out to address crises within the far-flung Persian Empire....

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Stone relief from palace of Persopolis

This typical Persian motif draws it wings and central ring from Egyptian and Mesopotamian prototypes. Traditional view is that the figure represents Ahura Mazda...

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Immortal infantry - Lancer and Archer

Frieze of glazed tiles showing Immortal infantry. A lancer and archer....

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Persepolis Bull's Head

Bull's head carving from column capital at Persepolis....

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Griffin's head from column at Persopolis

May reflect a borrowing a Mesopotamian political symbolism....

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Persepolis Lion's head

Lion's head from top of a column at Persepolis....

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Soldiers from Persepolis

Relief of soldiers from Persepolis with wicker shields. 6th c. B.C. (East Berlin: Pergamum Museum)....

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Tomb of Cyrus the Great (c. 550-529)

Near his palace at PasargadÃ". Cyrus, founder of the Persian Empire, won independence from the Media and expanded his control to Mesopotamia. He drew from Mesopotamia some ideological elements for a reconstructed monarchy. Tombs are above ground to prevent the corpse's being defiled....

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