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A Stone Bowl with Two Inscriptions
This stone bowl has two sets of cuneiform inscriptions. The first one says that the bowl was booty brought to Mesopotamia from Magan (modern Sultanate of Oman) by the Akkadian king Naram-Sin (2254-2218 BCE). The second inscription mentions...
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A Stone Mace Head with Lions
This is a symbolic weapon which was dedicated to a temple in order to receive gods' blessings. The lions' heads represent power and reflect the fact the donor was a royal person. Early dynastic period, 2500 BCE, from Sippar, Mesopotamia...
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King Enannatum I of Lagash
The inscriptions on this stone plaque mention the name of Enannatum I, king (or ruler) of Lagash. The plaque was fixed to a wall of a shrine or temple. The king's hands are folded in a worship position. c. 2420 BCE, from Girsu (modern Tell...
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Terracotta Female Figurines from the Ubaid Period
The decoration on both lizard-headed female figurines might well represent tattoos or jewelery. The one on the right side appears to breastfeed an infant. Such figurines were probably made for ritual purposes. Ubaid period, 5200-4200 BCE...
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Head of Ewe Figurine
Sheep played an important role in the ancient Sumerian economy. Images and figurines of sheep were especially common during the late prehistoric era in Uruk. This piece was probably decorating a shrine or a temple. From the late Uruk period...
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Stone Calf from Late Uruk Era
There is a hole on the back of this stone calf for vertical posts or other attachments. Late Uruk period, 3300-3000 BCE, from Ur, Mesopotamia, Iraq. (The British Museum).
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Imdugud Copper Frieze from the Ninhursag Temple
Frieze from the base of the temple of the goddess Ninhursag at Tell Al-Ubaid. The lion-headed eagle monster, or Imdugud, grasps a pair of deer. Imdugud represents the Sumerian god Ningirsu, and it is unknown why it was placed at the temple...
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A Sumerian Wall Plaque Showing Libation Scenes
The upper register shows a naked priest followed by three worshippers. The priest pours an unknown liquid offering from a spouted vessel into a stemmed dish or stand, in front of a horned god figure. In the lower register, there are three...
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Woman at the Window Ivory from Nimrud
A woman looking out of a balustraded window was a popular theme in Phoenician art. This is possibly related to the goddess Astarte and ritual prostitution. This piece belongs to a large collection of the so-called "Nimrud ivories." These...
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Ivory Plaque of Woman at the Window
"Woman at the window" or "the lady of the window" is one of the most famous scenes in Phoenician ivory carving. The plaque shows a woman who looks out of a window, thought to be a sacred prostitute linked to the goddess Astarte or Ishtar...
