Near Eastern IMAGE 16: Standard of Ur (War Side & Peace Side)

Baseline upon which figures stand

GROUND LINE:

System of representation that expresses a person’s importance by the size of his or her representation in a work of art; 

(EX: the bigger the figure, the more important they are)

HIERARCHY OF SCALE:

A horizontal band, often on top of another, that tells a narrative story

REGISTER:

evidence of this provided with the foreign materials that were used to create this work of art

Extensive trading network

 Excavated in the 1920s by Sir Leonard Woolley, revealing rich tombs containing immense wealth, precious trade goods, and evidence of ritual human sacrifice.

Royal Cemetery at Ur (~2600 BCE)

The materials used prove massive global trade connections: lapis lazuli came from Afghanistan, red limestone from India, and shells from the Persian Gulf.

Long-Distance Trade Networks:

Reflects a highly stratified society with specialized labor roles—slaves, soldiers, farmers, elite courtiers, and an absolute king.

Sumerian Statecraft:

IMAGE 16: Standard of Ur (War Side & Peace Side), from Tomb 779, Royal Cemetery, Ur (modern Tell Muqayyar), Iraq, ca. 2600 BCE. Wood inlaid with shell, lapis lazuli, and red limestone, 8” x 1’7”. British Museum, London

ID’s

Hollow wooden box, inlaid with shell, red limestone and lapis lazuli (mosaic style), roughly 20inches. 

Form

Could have been a standard in military procession or part of a music instrument?

Function

Depicts a military conquest across the front and back. Narrative told through registers from bottom to top. One side depicts war and the capture of slaves, the other side preparations for a feast/celebration.

Content:

Found in the royal cemetery in the city of Ur, Which is modern day iraq. Important enough to be used as a grave good. Imported materials represent vast trade network in the region.

Context: