wall panel;
relief
- Museum number
- 118912
- Description
-
Gypsum wall relief panel: at the top of this panel are three examples of the 'ugallu', 'Great Lion', with one broken figure who may be the House God. Underneath is an 'urmahlilu', 'Lion-Man'. The Great Lions wear a simple Assyrian kilt, and make threatening gestures with daggers; their maces symbolise authority. They have eagles' claws for feet, and high, alert ears. The Lion-Man makes a more pacific gesture, but its import is the same. The horns on his helmet show that he is a god.
- Production date
- 645BC-640BC
- Dimensions
-
Height: 146 centimetres
-
Thickness: 11 centimetres (extant)
-
Width: 110 centimetres
- Curator's comments
-
The depicted creatures are all good spirits, whose presence was intended to protect the palace from evil and bad luck, just as Ashurnasirpal's palace had been protected over two centuries previously, though the identity of the spirits has changed.
-
Casts of the complete relief and the lower section are listed separately 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
-
Exhibited:
2018-2019 8 Nov - 24 Feb, London, BM, I am Ashurbanipal, king of the world, king of Assyria
2012 Jan-Apr, Hong Kong Museum of Art, Fantastic Creatures.
2011 Jun-Sept, South Korea, Ulsan Museum, Fantastic Creatures
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
- 118912
- Registration number
- 1856,0909.25
- Additional IDs
-
Miscellaneous number: 79 (Old Gallery No.)
