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The 'Garden Party' relief from the North Palace of Ashurbanipal, Nineveh, Iraq, about 645 BC
Length: 58.420 cm
Width: 139.700 cm
Depth: 15.240 cm
The palace was excavated by H. Rassam (from 1853)
ME 124920
A Queens Tour
An Assyrian Queen
This carved stone picture hides a gory secret. King Ashurbanipal and his Queen are enjoying a party in their garden. Can you see the Queen sitting down facing her husband? A harpist on the left plays music while they eat and drink. But in the tree beside him is the severed head of King Teumann, a local ruler who had tried to fight against Ashurbanipal. The picture was on the wall in the royal palace, to warn any visitors not to try the same thing.
For parents
Queens, like women in general, were seldom represented in Assyrian sculpture. However, women did sometimes hold power at the Assyrian court, though usually behind the scenes. Documents suggest that Ashurbanipal's grandmother, Naqia-Zakutu, was extremely influential in promoting her son Esarhaddon and then Ashurbanipal to the throne.