Statues

Sculpture in the round and the small figures people kept. The Tell Asmar hoard with its enormous eyes, the Gudea statues, Ebih-Il the seated steward, the bronze head from Nineveh, the Warka mask, foundation pegs driven into temple corners, and the apotropaic figures like Pazuzu that were meant to keep worse things away.

Part of Mesopotamia

73 moments in this segment.

1. 5600 BC - Seated female. 5600 to 5000 BC. Southern Mesopotamia has no stone, no metal ore and almost no timber. Lapis lazuli came from Badakhshan in Afghanistan, carnelian from the Indus, copper from Oman. Trade is not a footnote to this material, it is a precondition. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; Purchase, Leon Levy and Shelby White Gift, 1985.
2. 4000 BC - Figurine. 4th to 1st Millennium BC, from Nippur. Southern Mesopotamia has no stone, no metal ore and almost no timber. Lapis lazuli came from Badakhshan in Afghanistan, carnelian from the Indus, copper from Oman. Trade is not a footnote to this material, it is a precondition. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; Rogers Fund, 1959.
3. 2700 BC - Adze head (?). (?), ca. 2700 to 2600 BC, from Nippur. Southern Mesopotamia has no stone, no metal ore and almost no timber. Lapis lazuli came from Badakhshan in Afghanistan, carnelian from the Indus, copper from Oman. Trade is not a footnote to this material, it is a precondition. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; Rogers Fund, 1962.
4. 2600 BC - Female head with elaborate hairstyle. 2600 to 2500 BC, from Khafajah. Southern Mesopotamia has no stone, no metal ore and almost no timber. Lapis lazuli came from Badakhshan in Afghanistan, carnelian from the Indus, copper from Oman. Trade is not a footnote to this material, it is a precondition. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; Rogers Fund and Gifts of Lucy W. Drexel, Theodore M. Davis, Helen Miller Gould, Albert Gallatin, Egypt Exploration Fund and Egyptian Research Account, by exchange, 1950.
5. 2600 BC - Eye inlay for a statue. 2600 to 2500 BC, from Nippur. Southern Mesopotamia has no stone, no metal ore and almost no timber. Lapis lazuli came from Badakhshan in Afghanistan, carnelian from the Indus, copper from Oman. Trade is not a footnote to this material, it is a precondition. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; Rogers Fund, 1962.
6. 2600 BC - Female head. 2600 to 2350 BC. Southern Mesopotamia has no stone, no metal ore and almost no timber. Lapis lazuli came from Badakhshan in Afghanistan, carnelian from the Indus, copper from Oman. Trade is not a footnote to this material, it is a precondition. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; Rogers Fund, 1952.
7. 2350 BC - Axe head. 2350 to 2150 BC. Southern Mesopotamia has no stone, no metal ore and almost no timber. Lapis lazuli came from Badakhshan in Afghanistan, carnelian from the Indus, copper from Oman. Trade is not a footnote to this material, it is a precondition. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; Purchase, Mrs. Vladimir S. Littauer Gift, 1969.
8. 2300 BC - Head of a ruler. 2300 to 2000 BC. Southern Mesopotamia has no stone, no metal ore and almost no timber. Lapis lazuli came from Badakhshan in Afghanistan, carnelian from the Indus, copper from Oman. Trade is not a footnote to this material, it is a precondition. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; Rogers Fund, 1947.
9. 2112 BC - Statue fragment. 2112 to 2004 BC. Southern Mesopotamia has no stone, no metal ore and almost no timber. Lapis lazuli came from Badakhshan in Afghanistan, carnelian from the Indus, copper from Oman. Trade is not a footnote to this material, it is a precondition. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; Bequest of W. Gedney Beatty, 1941.
10. 2100 BC - Bull's head. 2100 to 2000 BC. Southern Mesopotamia has no stone, no metal ore and almost no timber. Lapis lazuli came from Badakhshan in Afghanistan, carnelian from the Indus, copper from Oman. Trade is not a footnote to this material, it is a precondition. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; Gift of Alastair Bradley Martin, 1973.
11. 2094 BC - Foundation figure of king Shulgi of Ur, carrying a basket. 2094 to 2047 BC, from Nippur. Votive figures were placed in temples to stand in perpetual prayer on behalf of the donor, which is why the eyes are so large. The worshipper was represented rather than present. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; Rogers Fund, 1959.
12. 2090 BC - Head of Gudea. 2090 BC, probably from Girsu (modern Tello). Gudea ruled Lagash around 2100 BC and had himself carved repeatedly in hard imported diorite. The statues came from Girsu, modern Tello, where Ernest de Sarzec began digging in 1877, work that effectively proved the Sumerians had existed after their existence had been doubted. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; Fletcher Fund, 1949.
13. 2090 BC - Statue of Gudea, named “Gudea, the man who built the temple, may his life be long”. ”, ca. 2090 BC, probably from Girsu (modern Tello). Gudea ruled Lagash around 2100 BC and had himself carved repeatedly in hard imported diorite. The statues came from Girsu, modern Tello, where Ernest de Sarzec began digging in 1877, work that effectively proved the Sumerians had existed after their existence had been doubted. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1959.
14. 2080 BC - Human-headed bison. 2080 BC, probably from Girsu (modern Tello). Southern Mesopotamia has no stone, no metal ore and almost no timber. Lapis lazuli came from Badakhshan in Afghanistan, carnelian from the Indus, copper from Oman. Trade is not a footnote to this material, it is a precondition. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; Rogers Fund, 1996.
15. 2046 BC - Statue fragment bearing incised cuneiform inscription of Amar-Sin. 2046 to 2038 BC. Southern Mesopotamia has no stone, no metal ore and almost no timber. Lapis lazuli came from Badakhshan in Afghanistan, carnelian from the Indus, copper from Oman. Trade is not a footnote to this material, it is a precondition. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; Bequest of W. Gedney Beatty, 1941.
16. 2000 BC - Plaque with a nude female between two bearded males wearing kilts. 2000 to 1600 BC. Southern Mesopotamia has no stone, no metal ore and almost no timber. Lapis lazuli came from Badakhshan in Afghanistan, carnelian from the Indus, copper from Oman. Trade is not a footnote to this material, it is a precondition. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; Purchase, Friends of Inanna Gifts, 1998.
17. 2000 BC - Head of a bull or bison. 2000 to 1600 BC. Southern Mesopotamia has no stone, no metal ore and almost no timber. Lapis lazuli came from Badakhshan in Afghanistan, carnelian from the Indus, copper from Oman. Trade is not a footnote to this material, it is a precondition. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; Purchase, Nathaniel Spear Jr. Gift, 1989.
18. 1400 BC - Head. 14th to 13th century BC. Southern Mesopotamia has no stone, no metal ore and almost no timber. Lapis lazuli came from Badakhshan in Afghanistan, carnelian from the Indus, copper from Oman. Trade is not a footnote to this material, it is a precondition. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; Rogers Fund, 1932.
19. 900 BC - Head of mushhushshu. 9th century BC, from Balawat. Southern Mesopotamia has no stone, no metal ore and almost no timber. Lapis lazuli came from Badakhshan in Afghanistan, carnelian from the Indus, copper from Oman. Trade is not a footnote to this material, it is a precondition. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; Rogers Fund, 1957.
20. 900 BC - Head of a female or goddess wearing a necklace. 9th to 8th century BC, from Nimrud (ancient Kalhu). Southern Mesopotamia has no stone, no metal ore and almost no timber. Lapis lazuli came from Badakhshan in Afghanistan, carnelian from the Indus, copper from Oman. Trade is not a footnote to this material, it is a precondition. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; Rogers Fund, 1954.
21. 900 BC - Bearded warrior holding a spear. 9th to 8th century BC, from Nimrud (ancient Kalhu). Southern Mesopotamia has no stone, no metal ore and almost no timber. Lapis lazuli came from Badakhshan in Afghanistan, carnelian from the Indus, copper from Oman. Trade is not a footnote to this material, it is a precondition. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; Rogers Fund, 1954.
22. 900 BC - Head of a male or female figure. 9th to 8th century BC, from Nimrud (ancient Kalhu). Votive figures were placed in temples to stand in perpetual prayer on behalf of the donor, which is why the eyes are so large. The worshipper was represented rather than present. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; Rogers Fund, 1962.
23. 800 BC - Cylindrical box fragment with female figures. 8th century BC, from Nimrud (ancient Kalhu). Votive figures were placed in temples to stand in perpetual prayer on behalf of the donor, which is why the eyes are so large. The worshipper was represented rather than present. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; Rogers Fund, 1954.
24. 800 BC - Furniture or cosmetic box plaque carved in the round with striding bull. 8th to 7th century BC, from Nimrud (ancient Kalhu). Southern Mesopotamia has no stone, no metal ore and almost no timber. Lapis lazuli came from Badakhshan in Afghanistan, carnelian from the Indus, copper from Oman. Trade is not a footnote to this material, it is a precondition. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; Rogers Fund, 1954.
25. 650 BC - Figurine of animal (dog or mushhushshu). ), ca. late 7th century BC, from Nimrud (ancient Kalhu). Southern Mesopotamia has no stone, no metal ore and almost no timber. Lapis lazuli came from Badakhshan in Afghanistan, carnelian from the Indus, copper from Oman. Trade is not a footnote to this material, it is a precondition. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; Rogers Fund, 1959.
26. 1896 - Gudea cylinder A (flat view). Gudea ruled Lagash around 2100 BC and had himself carved repeatedly in hard imported diorite. The statues came from Girsu, modern Tello, where Ernest de Sarzec began digging in 1877, work that effectively proved the Sumerians had existed after their existence had been doubted.
27. 2011 - Ebih-Il Louvre AO17551 n08. Votive figures were placed in temples to stand in perpetual prayer on behalf of the donor, which is why the eyes are so large. The worshipper was represented rather than present.
28. 2011 - Ebih-Il Louvre AO17551 n11. Votive figures were placed in temples to stand in perpetual prayer on behalf of the donor, which is why the eyes are so large. The worshipper was represented rather than present.
29. 2011-06-16 - Ram Caught in a Thicket from Ur. The Ram Caught in a Thicket from Ur at the Penn Museum, 30-12-702, gold and lapis over a wooden core. Woolley found two; the other is British Museum 122200. The animal is more likely a goat than a ram, and the biblical title is Woolley's own.
30. 2014 - Nude female figurines with headdresses, Tell Asmar, Northern Palace, Isin-Larsa period, 2000-1800 BC, ceramic - Oriental Institute Museum, U. 07490. The Tell Asmar hoard, votive figures buried under the floor of the Square Temple at Eshnunna. They were placed in temples to stand in perpetual prayer on behalf of the donor, which is why the eyes are so large: the worshipper was represented rather than present.
31. 2014 - Ur III figurines - Oriental Institute Museum, University of Chicago - DSC06990. Exhibit in the Oriental Institute Museum, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA. This work is old enough so that it is in the public domain. Photography was permitted in the museum without restriction. Votive figures were placed in temples to stand in perpetual prayer on behalf of the donor, which is why the eyes are so large. The worshipper was represented rather than present.
32. 2014-07-06 - Lamassu from the citadel of Sargon II. The lamassu from Sargon II's citadel at Khorsabad. The human-headed winged bull is carved with five legs so that it appears standing from the front and walking from the side, a solution to being seen from two directions at once.
33. 2014-09-18 - Standing Male Worshipper from Tell Asmar. A standing male worshipper from Tell Asmar, part of the hoard buried beneath the floor of the Square Temple at Eshnunna. The enormous inlaid eyes are the defining feature of the group, which ISAC excavated in the 1930s.
34. 2017-04-10 - Idrimi: a 3,500-year-old refugee from Aleppo | Curator's Corner S2 Ep5 #CuratorsCorner. The statue of Idrimi, king of Alalakh, carrying a long autobiographical inscription across its body. It is a rare case of a Near Eastern statue that tells its own story in the first person.
35. 2017 - Marble Votive Mace Head of Shulgi and Clay Tablets. Votive figures were placed in temples to stand in perpetual prayer on behalf of the donor, which is why the eyes are so large. The worshipper was represented rather than present.
36. 2017-10-25 - Seated Gudea holding temple plan. Gudea of Lagash seated holding a temple plan on his lap. The Gudea statues are carved in imported diorite and come from Girsu, modern Tello, dug by Ernest de Sarzec from 1877.
37. 2017-11-09 - The reproduction of the statue of Lamassu. The reproduction of a lamassu statue after the destruction of the originals at the Nergal Gate. The Nergal Gate lamassu at Nineveh were genuine, in place, and destroyed with a jackhammer on video in 2015.
38. 2018 - Pazuzu-N 8287-IMG 8973. Votive figures were placed in temples to stand in perpetual prayer on behalf of the donor, which is why the eyes are so large. The worshipper was represented rather than present.
39. 2018 - Pazuzu-N 8287-IMG 8961-black. Votive figures were placed in temples to stand in perpetual prayer on behalf of the donor, which is why the eyes are so large. The worshipper was represented rather than present.
40. 2018 - Clay Foundation Peg of King Gudea of Lagash, Sumer, Late 3rd Millennium BC (43169983682). Gudea ruled Lagash around 2100 BC and had himself carved repeatedly in hard imported diorite. The statues came from Girsu, modern Tello, where Ernest de Sarzec began digging in 1877, work that effectively proved the Sumerians had existed after their existence had been doubted.
41. 2018 - Pazuzu-N 8287-IMG 8961-gradient. Votive figures were placed in temples to stand in perpetual prayer on behalf of the donor, which is why the eyes are so large. The worshipper was represented rather than present.
42. 2018 - Pazuzu-N 8287-IMG 8961-white. Votive figures were placed in temples to stand in perpetual prayer on behalf of the donor, which is why the eyes are so large. The worshipper was represented rather than present.
43. 2018 - Sacred basin, a gift from Gudea to the temple of Ningirsu. From Girsu, Iraq. 2144-2122 BCE. Ancient Orient Museum, Istanbul. Gudea ruled Lagash around 2100 BC and had himself carved repeatedly in hard imported diorite. The statues came from Girsu, modern Tello, where Ernest de Sarzec began digging in 1877, work that effectively proved the Sumerians had existed after their existence had been doubted.
44. 2018 - Cuneiform inscription on the statue of Puzur-Ishtar, governor of Mari. Originally from Mari, found in Babylon. 1894-1594 BCE. Ancient Orient
45. 2018 - Cuneiform inscription on a diorite mortar stating that this was an offering from Gudea to Enlil. From Nippur, Iraq. 2144-2124 BCE. Ancient O. 2100 BC and had himself carved repeatedly in hard imported diorite. The statues came from Girsu, modern Tello, where Ernest de Sarzec began digging in 1877, work that effectively proved the Sumerians had existed after their existence had been doubted.
46. 2018 - Cuneiform inscription. Detail. Headless statue of Tura-Dagan, with inscription, Ancient Orient Museum, Istanbul, Turkey. Votive figures were placed in temples to stand in perpetual prayer on behalf of the donor, which is why the eyes are so large. The worshipper was represented rather than present.
47. 2019-03-13 - Case Study 6.1: Gudea of Lagash. A case study on Gudea of Lagash. Gudea had himself carved repeatedly in diorite imported from Magan, and the statues carry long inscriptions about temple building.
48. 2019 - Warka Mask, Iraq Museum. The Mask of Warka, roughly 3100 BC from Uruk, one of the earliest naturalistic representations of a human face. It was stolen from the Iraq Museum in 2003 and recovered.
49. 2019 - The Mask of Warka at the Iraq Museum in Baghdad, back view. The Mask of Warka, roughly 3100 BC from Uruk, one of the earliest naturalistic representations of a human face. It was stolen from the Iraq Museum in 2003 and recovered.
50. 2019 - Various statuettes from Khafajah, Tell Asmar, Tell Agrab, and Ishchali?. Iraq Museum, Baghdad, Iraq. Statuettes of Sumerian worshippers (males and females) from Diyala Valley (Khafajah, Tell Asmar, Tell Agrab, Ishchali?), Iraq. Early Dynastic period, 2600-2370 BCE. Few came from other Mesopotamian cities such as Ur. Iraq Museum, Baghdad, Iraq.
51. 2019 - Kurba'il Statue of Shalmaneser III from Fort Shalmaneser, Iraq Museum. The Iraq Museum in Baghdad. The widely reported figure of 170,000 items lost in 2003 is wrong: it came from a miscommunication by the first crews on the scene plus empty cases whose contents curators had removed before the First Gulf War. The accurate figure is around 15,000 items, of which roughly 6,000 had been recovered as of 2009.
52. 2019 - Statues in one of the Hatra Galleries at the Iraq Museum in Baghdad, Iraq. The Iraq Museum in Baghdad. The widely reported figure of 170,000 items lost in 2003 is wrong: it came from a miscommunication by the first crews on the scene plus empty cases whose contents curators had removed before the First Gulf War. The accurate figure is around 15,000 items, of which roughly 6,000 had been recovered as of 2009.
53. 2019 - Sumerian Gallery of the Iraq Museum in Baghdad, Iraq. (a cast or replica, not the original object). The Iraq Museum in Baghdad. The widely reported figure of 170,000 items lost in 2003 is wrong: it came from a miscommunication by the first crews on the scene plus empty cases whose contents curators had removed before the First Gulf War. The accurate figure is around 15,000 items, of which roughly 6,000 had been recovered as of 2009.
54. 2019 - One of the Hatra Halls at the Iraq Museum in Baghdad, Iraq. The Iraq Museum in Baghdad. The widely reported figure of 170,000 items lost in 2003 is wrong: it came from a miscommunication by the first crews on the scene plus empty cases whose contents curators had removed before the First Gulf War. The accurate figure is around 15,000 items, of which roughly 6,000 had been recovered as of 2009.
55. 2019-07-31 - L'Œuvre en scène : Ur-Ningirsu, un prince sumérien de retour à Paris. The Louvre presents Ur-Ningirsu, a Sumerian prince of Lagash and son of Gudea. The Gudea corpus in diorite came from Girsu, modern Tello, excavated by Ernest de Sarzec from 1877.
56. 2020 - Girsu Gudea the Constructor. Gudea ruled Lagash around 2100 BC and had himself carved repeatedly in hard imported diorite. The statues came from Girsu, modern Tello, where Ernest de Sarzec began digging in 1877, work that effectively proved the Sumerians had existed after their existence had been doubted.
57. 2020 - Warka vase (360). The Warka Vase, roughly 3200 to 3000 BC from Uruk, is the earliest surviving large carved stone ritual vessel. It was looted from the Iraq Museum in 2003 and returned broken during the amnesty programme.
58. 2021-02-16 - [PODCAST] Les Taureaux ailés de Khorsabad - Les Enquêtes du Louvre. A Louvre investigation into the winged bulls of Khorsabad. The lamassu is a human-headed winged bull that stood at palace gateways; it is usually carved with five legs so that it reads correctly from both the front and the side.
59. 2021-04-12 - Middle East, Ram in a Thicket (Stop 393, Room 56). The Ram in a Thicket in Room 56, BM 122200, described in British Sign Language. Woolley found a pair at Ur; the other, Penn Museum 30-12-702, went to Philadelphia under the partage division of the finds.
60. 2021-06-06 - From a live Smarthistory webinar: Dr. Senta German on The Assyrian Lamassu. Senta German on the Assyrian lamassu in a Smarthistory webinar. Lamassu stood at palace and city gateways as protective figures, and their scale was part of the message.
61. 2021-09-24 - Venus d'Ailleurs - Parcours LSF sous-titrée - Gudea, prince de Lagash. Gudea, prince of Lagash, in French Sign Language at the Louvre. Gudea had himself carved repeatedly in imported diorite, hands clasped, sometimes holding a temple plan on his lap.
62. 2022 - 160. High Commission for Erbil Citadel Revitalization, head office. Interior of Erbil Citadel, Hawler, Erbil Governorate, Iraq. High Commission for Erbil Citadel Revitalization, head office. Interior of Erbil Citadel, Hawler, Erbil Governorate, Iraq. Votive figures were placed in temples to stand in perpetual prayer on behalf of the donor, which is why the eyes are so large. The worshipper was represented rather than present.
63. 2023 - Iraq, regno neosumero, statua di gudea, principe di lagash, 2120 ac ca., da girsu (oggi tello) 02 (louvre) testa. Gudea ruled Lagash around 2100 BC and had himself carved repeatedly in hard imported diorite. The statues came from Girsu, modern Tello, where Ernest de Sarzec began digging in 1877, work that effectively proved the Sumerians had existed after their existence had been doubted.
64. 2023 - Iraq, regno neosumero, statua di gudea, principe di lagash, 2120 ac ca., da girsu (oggi tello) 04 (louvre) mani. Gudea ruled Lagash around 2100 BC and had himself carved repeatedly in hard imported diorite. The statues came from Girsu, modern Tello, where Ernest de Sarzec began digging in 1877, work that effectively proved the Sumerians had existed after their existence had been doubted.
65. 2023 - Iraq, regno neosumero, statua di gudea, principe di lagash, 2120 ac ca., da girsu (oggi tello) 05 (louvre) piedi. Gudea ruled Lagash around 2100 BC and had himself carved repeatedly in hard imported diorite. The statues came from Girsu, modern Tello, where Ernest de Sarzec began digging in 1877, work that effectively proved the Sumerians had existed after their existence had been doubted.
66. 2023-09-04 - Gateway Guardians: Lamassu of Ancient Assyria – Archaeology Studio 142. The lamassu of ancient Assyria as gateway guardians. A pair flanked each major doorway, and the largest weigh upwards of thirty tonnes.
67. 2024-01-11 - L'Œuvre en scène : « La Statue d'Ebih-Il ». The Louvre examines the statue of Ebih-Il, a superintendent from Mari, seated with hands clasped and eyes of shell and lapis. Mari, at Tell Hariri on the Euphrates, was excavated by Andre Parrot from 1933 and produced both this sculpture and an enormous palace archive.
68. 2024-08-28 - Ancient Mesopotamian Figurines
69. 2024-10-30 - Ancient Demon: Queen of the Night?. The Burney Relief, also called the Queen of the Night, British Museum 2003,0718.1. Its authenticity was doubted for decades and is now generally accepted, and the identity of the winged goddess, Ishtar or Ereshkigal or Lilitu, is still argued.
70. 2025-09-04 - What Was The Purpose Of The Tell Asmar Statues? - Archaeology Quest. The purpose of the Tell Asmar statues. The hoard was buried beneath the floor of the Square Temple at Eshnunna, and the figures are understood as substitutes standing in perpetual prayer on behalf of their donors.
71. 2026-03-21 - The Statues of Gudea of Lagash - Masterpieces of Ancient Mesopotamia. The statues of Gudea of Lagash. Around thirty survive, most from Girsu, and they are the defining sculpture of the period between the fall of Akkad and the Third Dynasty of Ur.
72. 2026 - Statue de Gudea dite 'à l'épaule brisée' - Musée du Louvre Antiquités orientales AO 7. Gudea ruled Lagash around 2100 BC and had himself carved repeatedly in hard imported diorite. The statues came from Girsu, modern Tello, where Ernest de Sarzec began digging in 1877, work that effectively proved the Sumerians had existed after their existence had been doubted.
73. 2026 - Statue de Gudea - Musée du Louvre Antiquités orientales AO 4. Gudea ruled Lagash around 2100 BC and had himself carved repeatedly in hard imported diorite. The statues came from Girsu, modern Tello, where Ernest de Sarzec began digging in 1877, work that effectively proved the Sumerians had existed after their existence had been doubted.