Cuneiform inscriptions: Assyrian Relief (2023-03-31)

Created by: Englund, Robert K.

An Assyrian relief taken from the walls of the palace rooms at Nimrud. Carved from gypsum alabaster, this slap measures 92 1/4 x 92 x 4 1/2 inches. Excavated by Sir Austen Henry Layand in the 1840s, the slab was donated to the Metropolitan Museum in New York City by John D. Rockefeller in 1930.

This Assyrian relief dates between 883-859 BC of the neo-Assyrian period. The slab depicts the king Assurnasirpal II holding a bow (symbolizing his authority), and a ceremonial drinking bowl. Assurnasirpal II is facing a eunuch (identified by the lack of a beard), who is holding a fly whisk and a ladle used to refill the ceremonial bowl. The king wears the royal crown, a conical cap with a small top and a long diadem, and stands with the eunuch in an almost religious manner. The palace rooms at Nimrud were guarded at the doorway by large sculptures, and it’s walls were decorated with brightly painted walls and huge stone slabs containing carved reliefs. The noted Near Eastern archaeologist Klaudia Englund maintains a detailed online description of the palace rooms within the CDLI domain. CDLI entry: P426821

credit: Deline, Julian