stela
- Museum number
- 118805
- Description
-
Limestone stela of Ashurnasirpal II: carved; the king wears the royal hat with a conical top and holds a mace symbolising authority; he extends his right hand with forefinger outstretched as if he has just snapped his fingers, in a gesture of respect to five gods; Ashur, the supreme god is represented by a horned helmet, Shamash, the sun god by a winged disc, Sin the moon god, by a crescent in a half circle, Adad the storm god, by a forked line representing a thunderbolt and a star (Venus) represents the goddess of love and war, Ishtar; the king wears similar symbols on his chest, with a maltese cross instead of a winged disc for the sun. There is a cuneiform text on the back and sides.
- Production date
- 865BC-860BC
- Dimensions
-
Height: 294 centimetres (approx)
-
Weight: 4000 kilograms (approx)
- $Inscriptions
-
- Inscription subject
royal
- Curator's comments
- In set with 1851,0902.33 (BM.118806). Layard (1853: 351) refers to how "unfortunately, the heat of the fire which had consumed the building, had also broken this monument into two pieces". The material of this stele is limestone although popular nineteenth century jargon has led to it being described as alabaster and it has subsequently been mis-labelled as either alabaster or gypsum.
- Location
- On display (G6a)
- Exhibition history
-
Exhibited:
2000-2012 BM, Great Court
19thC BM, Assyrian Transept West
- Acquisition date
- 1851
- Acquisition notes
- Found by Layard about May 1850; despatched in two pieces from Nimrud; shipped from Basra March 1851 in the 'Fortitude', arriving London August the same year.
- Department
- Middle East
- BM/Big number
- 118805
- Registration number
- 1851,0902.32
- Additional IDs
-
Miscellaneous number: 847 (exhibition number (Assyrian Transept))