Colossal statue of a winged human-headed bull from the
North-West Palace of Ashurnasirpal II
Nimrud (ancient Kalhu), northern Iraq
Neo-Assyrian, about 883-859 BC
Protecting the palace against demonic forces
This is one of a pair of guardian figures set up in the palace
of Ashurnasirpal II (883-859 BC) at the Assyrian capital Kalhu. Its
partner is now in the Metropolitan Museum, New York.
Stone sculptures of mythological figures, sculpted in relief or
in the round, were often placed as guardians at gateways to palaces
and temples in ancient Mesopotamia. These figures were known to the
Assyrians as lamassu. They were designed to protect the
palace from demonic forces, and may even have guarded the entrance
to the private apartments of the king. The figure has five legs, so
that when viewed from the front it stands firm, while when viewed
from the side it appears to be striding forward to combat evil. The
'Standard Inscription' of Ashurnasirpal, common to many of his
reliefs, is inscribed between the figure's legs. It records the
King's titles, ancestry and achievements.
The figure was excavated by Austen Henry Layard, who worked in
Assyria between 1845 and 1851. He suggested that these composite
creatures combined the strength of the lion (or in this case, the
bull), the swiftness of birds indicated by the wings, and the
intelligence of the human head. The helmet with horns indicates the
creature's divinity.
J.E. Reade, Assyrian sculpture (London, The British Museum Press, 1983)
M. Roaf, Cultural atlas of Mesopotamia (New York, 1990)