ANCIENT NEAR EAST

Neolithic Art in the Ancient Near East bce Fortified site with a ditch and tower – walls were 5 to 12 feet thick, the tower 30 feet high, constructed of mud brick! “Jericho Skulls” 7000 bce Used an actual skull that was plastered to recreate the face of the deceased. Painted hair and shells inserted into the eye sockets Jericho is located in Israel on the so- called “West BanK” of the Jordan River.

Neolithic Art in the Ancient Near East Catal Huyuk ( bce is located in modern-day Turkey. The settlement is constructed without streets, the houses are connected by rooftops and ladders. Mud brick and clay are the primary building materials.

Anatolian Goddess giving birth bce Baked clay, 8in. This picture is a reconstruction of the original which is partially destroyed and missing it’s head. It is similar in shape and size to the Venus of Willendorf – and may have had a similar purpose. The animals on each side are leopards – an image that appears in multiple other art forms at Catal Huyuk. There are paintings at Catal Huyuk that date to 6000 bce that are similar to the European cave paintings with some notable exceptions – they are painted on a white plaster ground on the walls of the buildings – They depict hunting, rituals, and geometric designs.

Images of Bulls at Catal Huyuk represent Male virility and power

Mesopotamia Located in modern-day Iraq between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. The location made this area vulnerable to attack as well as accessible to trade. Cone Mosaics 3500 bce baked clay

Artistic Convention: A global way of treating specific elements in a related group of works. EXAMPLE: depiction of the human figure in relief sculpture: arms, legs, and head in profile, torso turned to viewer, and legs apart – as if walking on a cliff. REGISTER: a narrative depicted in horizontal bands – usually read from top to bottom

Mesopotamia - URUK Carved Vase, 3500 bce, alabaster, 36 in. Three tiers or “registers” showing a possible festival in honor of Inanna – a fertility goddess. Conventional manner of showing the human body. Hierarchical order: Largest register at the top shows the most important figures: the Goddess and those who offer gifts directly to her, the middle level shows naked men carrying more offerings, they may be slaves or servants, the lowest level depicts animals.

Uruk Female Head, bce, marble, 8in Sculpture in the round – lips, cheeks and ears are naturalistic. The eyebrows meet over the nose in a stylistic convention of Mesopotamian sculpture. Eyes are wide and staring – another convention Eyebrows would have been inlaid as would the eyes. Hair would have also been added.

Uruk Ziggurat at Uruk bce: A man- made mountain that created a transitional space between humans and their god. Oriented to the four compass points. Shrine or temple located at the top. This is the only interior space – the ziggurat is solid.

Uruk Cylinder Seals bce, carved stone, 1+ in Intaglio imprinting method. Used to show ownership, mark documents such as inventories and accounts, and to private and state documents – similar to a Notary Public today.

Uruk Pictograph tablets 3000 bce, clay tablet, 2-3+ in Pictographs are a form of communication that pre-dates cuneiform script writing. The symbols are based on simplistic line drawings of objects such as water, architecture, vessels, etc…

Sumerian Art: Tel Asmar Votive or Cult Figures: BCE, limestone, gypsum, alabaster Depict worshippers – would be placed in a temple They hold a cup or flower as an offering Hierarchical order: The biggest are the richest and most important

Sumerian Art: Tel Asmar Votive or Cult Figures: BCE, limestone, gypsum, alabaster Conventions: Eyebrows, wide open eyes, cylindrical forms with little naturalism, hands clasped around offering, rounded base MALES: Bare-chested, fringed skirts, stylized beards, FEMALES: one-shouldered dress, braided updo,

Sumerian Art – Ur Lyre soundbox: 2685 BCE, wood, inlaid gold, lapis lazuli, and shell Use of registers to tell the story Multiple composite figures – reference to the Epic of Gilgamesh? Use of expensive materials shows importance of music

Akkadian Art Head of Sargon I, 2300 BCE, bronze Made with the Lost wax method of casting Sargon’s birth similar to Moses Clearly a portrait with most features being naturalistic – but with conventional eyebrows and stylized hair. Few bronzes exist as they were melted down and reused.

Akkadian Art Victory Stele of Naram-sin, BCE, pink sandstone, 6’6” Conventions: Largest figure – most important and at the top of the story, also central in the space horned helmet = divinity Straight, erect posture = masculinity Necklace with protective bead All victors face right. Defeated face left. Victors move up in the composition, top of the mountain = closer to God Defeated trampled underfoot and smaller Naked = dead Standard depiction of human form.

Neo-Sumerian Art - Lagash Head of Gudea, 2100BCE, Diorite Many conventions similar to Sumerian art Gudea with Temple Plan, 2100 BCE, Diorite Kings ruled by divine right and were a link between man and the gods. Dreams were considered communications from the gods

Neo-Sumerian Art - Ur Ziggurat of Ur: Mud brick core, faced with baked brick embedded it bitumen mortar Increased technology allowed for greater height and permanence 3 stages – walls curve out very slightly but are sloped toward the center

Babylonian Art Amorites/Old Babylon Stele of Hammurabi, BCE, Basalt, 7’ 51 Akkadian cuneiform columns site 300 statutes or laws Hammurabi faces the seated God, Shamash who wears a horned cap of divinity with rays coming from his shoulders. He is much taller than Hammurabi showing his power over Hammurabi Laws maintained class structure and ensured stability and continuity

Anatolia - Hittite Art Lion Gate 1400 BCE, stone Citadel – urban fortress. Cyclopean walls (giant stones whose large size keeps them in place without mortar Lions were traditional guardians as they were thought to never sleep Combination of high relief and incised details.

Hittite Art King’s Gate, 1400 BCE, 6’6.75” War god, conventional stance, similar feel to Naram-sin - protected the populace. Notice the natural kneecaps and but stylized eyes

Assyrian Art King Assurnasirpal II, BCE Stone readily available – made statuary and relief carving more common Rigid frontal pose (but sculpture in the round), name title, and conquests inscribed across his chest – proclaiming God-given power, seems unconquerable

Assyrian Art Alabaster reliefs: Dying Lioness, BCE Violence, death, naturalism King Assurnasirpal II Hunting Lions, BCE, naturalism, attempting to show depth in the shallow space

Assyrian Art Palace of Sargon II, Changing nature of architecture. Ziggurats used to be the most important with a secondary, administrative space as a palace. Now the palace and fortifications are more important wit the ziggurat being secondary

Assyrian Art Lamassu, 720 BCE,limestone, at the entry to the throne room Head of a man, body of a bull, wings Horned cap of divinity, naturalism mixed with stylization Frontal view is standing stationary while the side view is walking

Neo-Babylonian Art Ishtar Gate: 575 BCE, glazed brick with round arch – one of eight arches along a processional route. Arches are a modified post and lintel system that is stronger Glazes are ground minerals that create a water-resistant finish when fired on clay at high temps

. Iranian Pottery Painted Pottery BCE, geometric registers, with a stylized goat in the center Many of these had animals on the registers also

Scythian Art Stag, 700 BCE, chased (pounded) gold.12.5” portable as they were nomadic Highly stylized, composite figures also incorporated flames and waves into the images.

Achaemienid Persia Apadana (Audience Hall) of Darius and stairway. Religious services were outdoors in open air – so palaces are the remaining architecture Reliefs show a different manner of ruling – peaceful, without man- made violence

Achaemenid Persia Columns are unique – only Persian columns are topped with bulls. The ram is the capital which sits on top of the shaft, a base is at the bottom. This capital allows for lintels in two directions

Achaemenid Persia Gold Drinking vessels: iconography is taken from other Near East cultures but the forms merging into a usable form is unique to this culture

Significance of Specific Animals Leopard: Associated with the Deity Inanna – hunting leopard is a spiritual act Lion:Representative of the Deity of War, lions never sleep therefore they make excellent guardians Bull: Considered a deity of fertility – often but not always not male Stag: Represents the sun god or god of the cosmos