Chapter 2 - Ancient Mesopotamia and Persia

apotropaic

having the power to ward off evil or bad luck

arch

a curved structural member that spans an opening and is generally composed of wedge-shaped blocks (voussoirs) that transmit downward pressure laterally (thrust)

barrel vault

a deep arch over an oblong space

bent-axis plan

a processional pathway up to the temple, in the shape of an angular spiral

bestiary

a collection of real or imaginary animals

blind arcade

a series of aches having no openings

cella

a central room set aside for a divinity

citadel

a fortress or a stronghold that commands the city

city-states

independent cities which never become unified

composite view

method in which artists depict the human form in his/her most recognizable form using a combination of profile and frontal features together. this prevents confusion from the view because very minimal overlapping is occurring, also called twisted perspective

cuneiform

wedge shaped writing of the Sumerians

cylinder seal

a cylindrical piece of stone about an inch or so in height, decorated with an incised design, so that a raised pattern was left when the seal was rolled over soft clay. In important property was signed, sealed, and identified

facade

the front of a building

foreshortening

a device for suggesting depth by representing a figure or an object at an angle, rather than frontally or profile

glaze

a color made up of crushed glass, painted on sun dried bricks, which was heated to a high temperature until it was fused to the bricks

ground line

a base line upon which figures stand

heraldic composition

one which is symmetrical around a central figure

hierarchy of scale

the representation of certain figures in the art in larger size

lamassu

winged man-headed bull

libation

ritual pouring of a liquid

register, frieze, band

series of bands in a pictorial narrative

stele

upright stone slab or pillar used to mark graves or to commemorate historical events

strict profile

method in which artists depict an animal in its most recognizable form using a combination of profile and frontal features together. this prevents confusion from the viewer because very minimal overlapping is occurring

votive offering

a gift of gratitude to a deity usually made in fulfillment of a vow

ziggurat

a high, stepped , constructed platform on which the Sumerian temples stood