Colossal statue of a lion
From Nimrud (ancient Kalhu), northern Iraq
Neo-Assyrian, about 883-859 BC
Guardian figure from the entrance to the Temple
of Ishtar
This gigantic standing lion, roaring angrily, formed one of a
pair carved half in the round which once flanked the entrance of a
small temple dedicated to the goddess Ishtar, adjoining the palace
of King Ashurnasirpal II (reigned 883-859 BC). The temple was
excavated by Henry Layard in 1849.
The placing of figures of lions beside the doors of temples or
the gates of cities was an ancient custom in Mesopotamia. Actual
lions were common in the region and survived there until the
nineteenth century.
The fifth leg is an artistic convention to enable the figure to
be seen either from the side, walking, or from the front, standing.
Compare this with the colossal statue of a winged human-headed bull
from the palace of Ashurnasirpal II, also in the British
Museum.
The lion is covered with a dedication in cuneiform, consisting
of a prayer by Ashurnasirpal to a version of Ishtar called
Sharrat-niphi, followed by a record of some of his achievements.
Ishtar was one of the most important deities of Assyria. Here main
cult centres were at Nineveh and Arbela. The lioness was her symbol
as the goddess of fertility and warfare.
J.E. Reade, Assyrian sculpture-1 (London, The British Museum Press, 1998)
D. Collon, Ancient Near Eastern art (London, The British Museum Press, 1995)
R.D. Barnett, Fifty masterpieces of Ancient (London, The British Museum Press, 1969)
A.K. Grayson, Assyrian royal inscriptions (Wiesbaden, O. Harrassowitz, 1972)