wall panel;
relief
- Museum number
- 118914,a
- Description
-
Gypsum wall relief panel; carved; a lion and lioness relax peaceably in a garden, beside a tree, perhaps a cypress; the trunk of a palm-tree is visible too, and a vine with bunches of grapes is draped over both of them. There are flowers which may be lilies to left and right, and a plant with flowers like daisies grows behind the lioness; there is also a plant beside her tail.
- Production date
- 645BC-640BC
- Dimensions
-
Height: 98 centimetres
-
Thickness: 10 centimetres (extant)
-
Width: 178 centimetres
- Curator's comments
-
This is perhaps the most attractive of all Assyrian sculptures, suggesting a love of nature belied by the lion-killing scenes which were displayed nearby. Apparently the Assyrian kings did sometimes keep lions as pets, and one painting shows a lion by the royal throne, but the progeny of this contented pair may well have been destined for the arena.
-
The cast is listed as available in the British Museum Facsimile Service 'Catalogue of Replicas from British Museum collections' (n.d.), in the series "Assyrian Bas-Reliefs".
- Location
- Not on display
- Exhibition history
-
2013 - 2014 22 June - 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'
2008-2009 21 Sept-4 Jan, Boston, MFA, 'Art and Empire'
2007 2 Apr-30 Sept, Alicante, MARQ Museum, 'Art and Empire'
2006 1 Jul-7 Oct, Shanghai Museum, 'Art and Empire'
- Acquisition date
- 1856
- Department
- Middle East
- BM/Big number
- 118914,a
- Registration number
- 1856,0909.23
- Additional IDs
-
Miscellaneous number: 76 (Old Gallery No.)
