Relief with the Head of a Winged Figure, Neo-Assyrian period, reign of Ashurnasirpal II, 883-859 BC, gypsum alabaster with traces of pigment, 26 ½ x 23 x 2 in., Lent by the Art Institute of Chicago, George F. Harding Collection
Through a partnership with the Art Institute of Chicago, SAMA has a special opportunity to display an ancient relief sculpture from the palace of the Assyrian king Ashurnasirpal II at Nimrud, in present-day Iraq. The relief portrays the head of a winged figure, from a series of protective divinities (probably apkallu, wise men or sages) that alternated with stylized trees to decorate one of the palace’s reception rooms. It will join the Schwartz Gallery installation Around the Wine-Dark Sea, which highlights the many cultures in contact around the ancient Mediterranean. The relief will be on view with a selection of Assyrian and Babylonian cylinder seals from SAMA’s collection from late May.
This installation is made possible by generous support from the Gilbert M. Denman, Jr., Trust.
Relief with the Head of a Winged Figure, Neo-Assyrian period, reign of Ashurnasirpal II, 883-859 BC, gypsum alabaster with traces of pigment, 26 ½ x 23 x 2 in., Lent by the Art Institute of Chicago, George F. Harding Collection
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