Relief Fragment of King Ashurnasirpal II
Gypsum
Nimrud (ancient Kalhu)
60 cm x 57 cm x 15.5 cm
A34979
Oriental Institute Museum
Relief Fragment of King Ashurnasirpal II
A large room that may have been used for purification ceremonies in King Ashurnasirpal II's palace at Nimrud was adorned with exceptionally well-carved reliefs. This relief fragment depicts the king himself, identifiable by his fez-shaped cap topped by a conical spike. Originally, this fragment formed part of a larger scene in which the king, grasping a bow, stood ready to pour a libation from a cup poised delicately on the tips of his fingers. Facing the king was an attendant who carried a fly-whisk used to banish insects from his royal highness.
Collected by
Austen Henry Layard 1847
Exchanged with the British Museum, London 1974
Web Links
Highlights from the collection of the Oriental Institute Museum; Relief Fragment
Suggested Readings
Kramer, Samuel Noah. Cradle of Civilization. Alexandria, VA: Time-Life Books, 1967.
Reade, Julian. Assyrian Sculpture. London: The British Museum, 1983.
Roaf, Michael. Cultural Atlas of Mesopotamia and the Ancient Near East. New York: Facts on File, 1990.