Art of the Ancient Near East Mike Ervin
Art of the Ancient Near East
The
art of the ancient Near East, encompassing civilizations such as the Sumerians,
Akkadians, Babylonians, Assyrians, and Persians,
was primarily designed for religious and political purposes.
Key characteristics include monumental architecture, narrative relief
sculptures, the use of symbolism, and a focus on artistic skill and tradition
over originality. Below is a brief introduction:
Key Characteristics
- Function: Art primarily served to honor deities,
participate in religious rituals, and glorify rulers by proclaiming their
power, prestige, and military victories.
- Materials: Due to a lack of stone quarries in southern
Mesopotamia, mud bricks were the primary building material for monumental
architecture like ziggurats and palaces. Stone, alabaster, gypsum, gold,
silver, and lapis lazuli were used for sculpture, jewelry, and decorative
objects, often acquired through trade.
- Relief Sculpture: This was a prominent art
form, used on large palace walls, steles, and small cylinder seals. These
reliefs often told detailed historical or mythological narratives, such as
royal hunts or military campaigns.
- Symbolism and Style: Animals were often depicted
realistically but carried symbolic meanings related to strength or
divinity. Human figures, especially rulers, were rendered in an idealized
and stylized manner rather than naturalistically, often using a hieratic
scale (making important figures larger) to emphasize their status and
power.
- Cuneiform: The development of cuneiform writing was a
major innovation, and the script was frequently incorporated into artworks
and monuments to record laws, literature, and historical events.
- Lack of Originality as a Goal: Artistic
technique and skill were highly valued, and visual conventions and
established styles were generally followed, with less emphasis placed on
individual innovation or creativity.
Major Works and Architectural Forms
- Ziggurats: Massive, multi-tiered temple towers made of
mud brick that served as a visual and symbolic link between the divine and
earthly realms. The Great Ziggurat of Ur is a famous
example.
- Votive Statues: These figures, like those
found at the Square Temple in Eshnunna, were placed in temples to
represent worshipers in perpetual prayer before the gods. They are
characterized by clasped hands and wide, inlaid eyes.
- Steles: Monumental stone slabs covered in relief
sculptures and inscriptions. The most famous examples are the Stele
of Hammurabi (displaying his law code) and the Victory
Stele of Naram-Sin (celebrating a military conquest).
- Ishtar Gate and Processional Way: A
lavishly decorated gate from Neo-Babylonian Babylon, featuring brilliantly
colored glazed bricks with images of bulls and dragons.
- Lamassu: Colossal, human-headed, winged bull or lion
guardian figures that flanked the entrances to Assyrian palaces, serving a
protective function.
- The Standard of Ur: A wooden box inlaid with
shell, lapis lazuli, and red limestone, depicting scenes of war and peace
in horizontal registers.
Art of the Ancient Near East
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