Sculpture is one of the earliest forms of art that graced the most beautiful of the ancient human civilizations. From the life-sized carvings of human forms to gigantic sculptures that enhanced a major architecture, sculptures presented different functions and meanings across various ancient civilizations. Among the several civilizations that produced the world’s well-known artifacts of today was the ancient civilization of Mesopotamia, from which the Assyrian kingdom descended. Artworks from the Mesopotamian civilization, specifically those of the Assyrian kingdom, varied highly when compared with other forms of art produced by other civilizations—a fact that reflects the diversity of human perception, religion, beliefs, and values across various regions globally. Traversing the course of time, one of the most valued architectural sculptures of the ancient Assyria—the lamassu—was excavated.
Lamassu, sometimes also called as sedu, was the characteristic sculpture of the ancient Assyrians (O’Malley 98). Dating back from the 9th to 7th century BC, the Assyrian kings employed the colossal lamassu structures to the major architectures of the land they rule to exercise their religious beliefs and ensure the safety of their lands (Human-headed winged lion). Lamassu featured a gigantic sculpture of either bull or lion with human head and eagle’s wings (Lamassu 3-6). The features of these significant Assyrian sculptures represent symbolisms that reflect the religious beliefs and values of the people from the said ancient civilization. Lamassu, as stated earlier, can bear either the shape of a lion’s body or that of a bull’s and each signifies different meanings. The bull is said to represent the storm god or the moon god of the Babylonian era while the lion is widely argued to represent the Assyrian god, Istar (Lamassu 3). Despite assigning different definitions for the two animal symbolisms, both the shape of the bull and lion signify the superiority of the Assyrian kings (Lamassu 5). Furthermore, as suggested by the Assyrian “hieroglyphs” or their secret writings, both the lion and bull were used as logograms for the word king as well as for the other words that were used as determinatives for the word king (Lamassu 5). Aside from the body of lion and/or bull, which makes up the largest portion of the lamassu sculptures, the elaborate head relief of a man is another interesting feature of the lamassu structures (Lamassu 4). The elaborate human head of the famous Assyrian sculptures features intricate details of beard and hair style, which depicts the royalty of an Assyrian king (Lamassu 4). Additionally, the human head features of the lamassu represent the anthropomorphic values (i.e. the association of human features to godly entities) characteristic of Assyrian religious beliefs (Lamassu 4). The intricate details of the human head of lamassu sculptures also include a three-horned crown, which signifies the divinity of the Assyrian kings which was derived from the three Assyrian gods, Assur, Anu, and Enil (Lamassu 4). Such detail reflects the widespread trend among Assyrians to divinized their kings or rulers like their gods (Lamassu 4). A piece of a pair of earrings that adorns each of the ears of the lamassu head is another indicator of the royalty and nobility of Assyrian monarchs depicted in the ancient sculpture (Lamassu 12). Another interesting feature of the lamassu is the duality of the meaning and details of the bull’s or lion’s legs. Both the bull and lion in the lamassu sculptures have 5 instead of four legs and this detail was added in order to make the beast look as if standing firm when seen on its front while striding forward when looked at from its side (Colossal statue of a winged human-headed bull). A pair of eagle’s wings also adds beauty and symbolism to the sculpture. As briefly discussed, the eagle’s wings were associated with death and demons (Lamassu 3). The eagle’s wings are said to represent the people from the underworld described to be clothed like birds with wings in Assyrian beliefs (Lamassu 4). Overall, the animals used in lamassu sculptures mirror the rich belief of Assyrians in the symbolisms of animals and their parts (Lamassu 6). Furthermore, the association of human features in their artworks also represents the wide anthropomorphism associated in the religious beliefs of Assyrians during the ancient times.
Lamassu sculptures remained buried underground until the vast excavation led by Austen Henry Layard unearthed the colossal structures during his work with Assyria between 1845 and 1851 (Colossal statue of a winged lion). The discovered giant artifacts were estimated to be carved during the reign of the Assyrian king Ashurnasirpal II around 883 to 859 BC (Colossal statue of a winged lion). The discovered artifacts were consisted of three lion-bodied sculptures and another three bull-bodied sculptures (Lamassu 1). These artifacts now rest in the British Museum in London although other pieces of the same identity may be found in the Louvre Museum, Metropolitan Museum of Art, and Oriental Institute in the University of Chicago (O’Malley 98). The lamassu sculptures rest in the British Museum’s gallery 6a, 7, and 10 (Lamassu 1). The lamassu sculptures in the British Museum are positioned in a way that they reiterate their original positions in the doorways of King Ashurnasirpal II’s kingdom (Lamassu 1). The museum’s lighting of the statues, which may be seen in the photos included in Lamassu’s paper, heavily highlights the frontal side of the sculptures as well as their lateral sides—respectively emphasizing the human head and the features on the sides of the sculptures which include a long inscription on the space between the beasts’ legs to dictate the honoring titles and anecdotes that describes the richness of Ashurnasirpal II’s rule (Colossal statue of a winged human-headed bull). As extensive study and researches on Assyria suggest, lamassu sculptures were built to guard the doorways of the kingdom and turn back the persons who want to harm the king (Lamassu 4). The structures are also thought to keep the path of the king safe and secured (Lamassu 4).
Works Cited
“Colossal statue of a winged human-headed bull from the North-West Palace of Ashurnasirpal II.” The British Museum. British Museum, n. date. Web. 05 Dec. 2014.
“Colossal statue of a winged lion from the North-West Palace of Ashurnasirpal II (Room B).” The British Museum. British Museum, n. date. Web. 05 Dec. 2014.
“Human-headed winged lion (lamassu).” Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2014. Web. 05 Dec. 2014.
Lamassu, Nineb. Assyrian Lamassu in the British Museum. Web. 05 Dec. 2014.
O’Malley, Michael K. “Chicago’s Assyrian Winged Bull: A Problematic History, Briefly.” ESSAI 9:30 (2011): 98-103. College of DuPage. Web. 05 Dec. 2014.
