Fragment definition art history1/22/2024 ![]() The male figures from Mari often wear beards elaborated by patterns such as drilled holes-a hallmark of Mari sculpture-that separate the wavy strands of the beard. The sculpture from Mari is defined by its vitality and relative naturalism, with careful modeling and accurate proportions. Almost half of the approximately seventy surviving examples of inscribed sculpture come from the site of Mari in Syria, where sculpture in a distinct style was found strewn among the destruction debris of the temples of Ishtar, Ishtarat, and Ninni-zaza. Some figures from Nippur have a cuneiform inscription on their back or shoulder giving the name of the god and the profession and name of the donor.ĭedicatory sculptures have been found at a number of sites throughout Mesopotamia and neighboring regions, including Susa in southwest Iran, Tell Chuera in Syria, and Ashur in northern Mesopotamia. The most spectacular finds were made in Level VII dating to the later Early Dynastic period. Along with the statues were stone bowls, plaques, and inlays that were found either as hoards or scattered throughout the building. The Metropolitan Museum was a sponsor of the excavations during the 1957––61 seasons and was accorded a share of the finds. One of the largest collections of sculpture was discovered at the site of Nippur in a temple dedicated to Inanna, the Sumerian goddess of abundance. A long beard and side locks characterize some male figures. Both naturalistic and highly abstract styles exist, possibly contemporaneous in date, originating perhaps from different workshops. There is a wide stylistic range in the hundreds of dedicatory statues found here. Facial characteristics offer little variation from one statue to the next.Ī large number of statues were discovered in temples at the sites of Tell Asmar, Khafaje, and Tell Agrab close to the Diyala River, a major tributary of the Tigris in eastern Mesopotamia. Male heads are frequently shown bald but sometimes wear beards, while female figures can have a variety of hairstyles or headdresses. Standing figures often step forward with the left foot. Some figures hold cups or branches of vegetation. The statues are usually carved with the hands clasped, right over left, at the chest or waist in a gesture of attentiveness. ![]() They depict men wearing fringed or tufted fleece skirts, and women wearing fringed or tufted dresses draped over one shoulder. The votive statues are of various sizes and usually carved in gypsum or limestone. Hundreds of such statues or fragments have been excavated and at no other time in the history of the ancient Near East has nonroyal sculpture survived in such abundance. Quite how, or indeed if, the statues were presented to the god is unknown, as none have been discovered in situ but rather found buried in groups under the temple floor, or built into cultic installations such as altars, or scattered in pieces in the shrine and surrounding rooms, perhaps having been damaged when the temple was plundered or rebuilt in antiquity. These statues embodied the very essence of the worshipper so that the spirit would be present when the physical body was not. ![]() It was perhaps due to this lack of access that the elite commissioned images of themselves to be carried into the god’s presence. Access to the small central shrines was probably limited, most likely to the priests who served the god’s needs. However, judging from the few excavated examples, these buildings appear not to have been congregational in nature. ![]() 2900–2350 B.C.), life in the cities of Mesopotamia (ancient Iraq) was focused on the gods, who were believed to dwell in specially constructed temples. During the so-called Early Dynastic period (ca. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply.AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |