statue

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Object Type
Museum number: 90929
Description: Limestone statue of woman; carved; standing position with hands clasped over breast and smile on the lips.
Cultures/periods
Production date: 2500BC
Findspot: Excavated/Findspot: Tello ((?))
Materials
Technique
Dimensions: Height: 34 centimetres (with base); Height: 30 centimetres; Width: 15.80 centimetres; Depth: 13.50 centimetres
Curator's comments: "Treasures of the World's Cultures: The British Museum after 250 Years" catalogue entry (ANE33) Statue of a woman Southern Iraq, Kingdom of Lagash, Sumerian, about 2500 BC From Telloh (ancient Girsu) Limestone H30.0 cm ANE 90929 D Collon, Ancient Near Eastern art (London, The British Museum Press, 1995), p. 62, fig. 44 British Museum, A guide to the Babylonian and Assyrian antiquities, 3rd ed. (London, British Museum, 1922), p. 89 This is a typical figure which was set up in temples to represent their donor in prayer before the gods. They appear in different forms, both male and female, and depict a variety of hair styles and costumes. It is not known whether they reflect any likeness of the donor, but they usually have stylized features, especially very large eyes. The hands are nearly always clasped in front of their chest, perhaps in a gesture of reverence. They were often buried in the structure of the building, perhaps after the sanctuary had become too crowded, or the donor had died. This figure comes from the city of Telloh (ancient Girsu) in southern Iraq, which was part of the kingdom of Lagash. The site was among the earliest Sumerian cities to be explored in the nineteenth century. Many temple buildings were found and their associated monuments were recovered. In addition, inscriptions from this site and elsewhere have enabled a list of the rulers of Lagash to be reconstructed.; Object was sent to Cast workshop for moulding between 14 July and 22 September 1955 (WAA Transfers Book). The cast is listed as available in the British Museum Facsimile Service 'Catalogue of Replicas from British Museum collections' (n.d.), in the series "Monuments of Early Kings".
Bibliographic references: Aruz & Wallenfels 2003a / Art of the First Cities: The Third Millennium B.C. from the Mediterranean to the Indus (no. 29, p. 70); Barnett & Wiseman 1960a / Fifty masterpieces of Ancient Near Eastern Art (pp.32-33, no.14); Hall H R 1928a / Babylonian and Assyrian Sculpture in the British Museum (p.29, pl.V) (first attribution to Telloh); Guide 1922 / Guide to the Babylonian and Assyrian Antiquities in the British Museum (p.89, pl. xxxiii); King 1910a / A history of Sumer and Akkad (p.40 (photograph)) (first publication of this object); Collon 1995a / Ancient Near Eastern Art (p.62, fig.44)
Location: Not on display
Exhibition history: 2020 7-18 Mar and 1 Sep-1 Nov, Newcastle upon Tyne, Great North Museum: Hancock, Ancient Iraq 2017 'Living with Gods', SEG The British Museum 2013-2014 22 Jun-6 Jan, Toronto, Royal Ontario Museum,'Mesopotamia, Inventing Our World' 2013 30 Jan-13 May, Museum of History, Hong Kong, 'The Wonders of Ancient Mesopotamia' 2012 4 May-7 Oct, Melbourne Museum, 'The Wonders of Ancient Mesopotamia' 2009-2010 11 Dec-10 May, Madrid, Canal de Isabel II, Treasures of the World’s Cultures 2009 1 May-20 Sep, Victoria, Royal BC Museum, Treasures of the World's Cultures 2007 14 Sep-2 Dec, Hong Kong Museum of Art, Treasures of the World's Cultures 2007 3 Feb-27 May, Taipei, National Palace Museum, Treasures of the World's Cultures 2006 18 Mar-4 Jun, Beijing, Capital Museum, Treasures of the World's Cultures 2005 27 Oct-2006 31 Jan, Haengso Museum, Keimyung University, Daegu, Treasures of the World's Cultures 2005 25 Jul-8 Oct, Busan Museum, Treasures of the World's Cultures 2005 11 Apr-10 Jul, Seoul Arts Centre, Treasures of the World's Cultures 2004 26 Jun-29 Aug, Niigata Bandaijima Art Museum, Treasures of the World's Cultures 2004 10 Apr-13 Jun, Fukuoka Art Museum, Treasures of the World's Cultures 2004 17 Jan-28 Mar, Kobe City Museum, Treasures of the World's Cultures 2003 18 Oct-14 Dec, Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum, Treasures of the World's Cultures 2003 5 May-17 Aug, New York, Metropolitan Museum of Art, 'Art of the First Cities' BM, Babylonian Room, table-case C
Acquisition name
Acquisition date: 1850-1900
Acquisition notes: The numbering in the 90000 series confirms its acquisition in the 19th century. King attributes his photograph to the Mansell Collection, which also confirms a 19th century acquisition date.
Department: Middle East
BM/Big number: 90929
Registration number: .90929
Additional IDs: Other BM number: 12058 (old registration number)

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