Unit 2.1: Ancient Mesopotamia

White Temple and its Ziggurat

Artist: N/A

Period/Movement: Sumerian

Medium: Mud Brick painted white — reflected the sun’s rays

Location: Modern Warka, Iraq

Significance: Raised to be closer to god, corners of the temple oriented toward the cardinal points, religious/political center, only important people could enter

Statues of Votive Figures, from the Square Temple at Eshnunna

Artist: N/A

Period/Movement: Sumerian

Medium: Gypsum inlaid with shell and black limestone

Location: Modern Tell Asmar, Iraq

Significance: exaggerated eyes (beholding the divine), elite male and female figures, a place of worship to the gods

Standard of Ur

Artist: N/A

Period/Movement: Sumerian

Medium: Wood inlaid with shell, lapis lazuli, and red limestone

Location: modern Tell el-Muqavyar, Iraq

Significance: Registers, hierarchical scale, mosaic, 2-sided: war—Sumerian king descending from his chariot to inspect captives, and peace— food brought to a banquet, ruler wears a kilt of wool

The Code of Hammurabi

Artist: N/A

Period/Movement: Babylon

Medium: Basalt

Location: modern Iran

Significance: Hierarchical scale, stele, cuneiform says: “eye-for-eye,” divine laws carved in stone, sun god: Shamash giving laws to Hammurabi to be king

Lamassu from the Citadel of Sargon ||

Artist: N/A

Period/Movement: Neo-Assyrian

Medium: Alabaster

Location: modern Khrosabad, Iran

Significance: composite creature, human head: intelligence, body of bull: strength, guardian figures for private areas, always in pairs, god-like

Audience Hall (apadana) of Darius and Xerxes

Artist: N/A

Period/Movement: Persian

Medium: Cut Sandstone and Mud Brick

Location: Persepolis, Iran

Significance: hypostyle hall, Darius and Xerxes were father and son, relief sculptures were to show the diversity of the Persian empire, bull-headed columns (strength), used to hold thousands of people, destroyed by Alexander the Great