Quiz 1 Flashcards
What: Head of a Man
Who: Akkadian (Sargon I?)
When: 2300-2200 BC
Where: Nineveh
Why: Statue was deliberatly mutilated to express a political statement when Mede conquered the city. The statue is a symbol of the king’s power.
What: Stele of Naram-Sin
Who: Akkadian (Naram-Sin)
When: 2200 BC
Where: Susa, Iran
Why: Godlike depiction of the king during the conquest of Lullubi. The artist abandoned the traditional left to right format.
What: White Temple and Ziggurat
Who: Sumerian
When: 3200-3000 BC
Where: Uruk
Why: Monumental setting to worship dieties (Ziggurat of Anu the sky god). Showed Sumerian dedication to their gods and goddesses.
What: Ziggurat of Ur
Who: Sumerian
XWhen: 2100 BC
Where: Ur
Why: One of the largest Ziggurats in Mesopotamia. Example of Sumerian dedication and worship to dieties.
What: Warka Vase
Who: Sumerian
When: 3200-3000 BC
Where: Warka
Why: One of the earliest narrative relief sculptures found in Mesopotamia, compared to the Narmer Pallette found in Egypt.
What: Votive Statues from the Square Temple
Who: Sumerian
When: 2700 BC
Where: Eshnunna
Why: Speculated that the statues are substitute worshippers offering prayer to dieties in place of a real person. Large eyes symbolize eternal prayer and worship.
What: Lyre
Who: Sumerian
When: 2600 BC
Where: Royal Cemetary in Ur
Why: Lyre is a musical instrument also depicted in the Standard of Ur (similar to a harp). Relief on the lyre depicts animals acting like humans celebrating or participating in a ceremonial feast. Speculated that these animals guided and/or inhabited the afterlife.
What: Standar of Ur
Who: Sumerian
When: 2600 BC
Where: Royal Cemetary at Ur
Why: Another early example of historical narrative. Consists of a “war side” and a “peace side”, possibly depicting the victory of war and the celebration afterwards. Possible represents the duties of a king as a leader in war and a keeper of the peace.
What: City of Dur Sharrukin
Who: Assyrian (Sargon II)
When: 700 BC
Where: Dur Sharrukin
Why: Sargon II moved the Assyrian capital and built his new empire. Featured a ziggurat guarded by lamassu. Unfortunatly he was killed shortly after moving his court and the city was abandoned for Nineveh.
What: Apatropaic Lamassu
Who: Assyrian (Sargon II)
When: 700 BC
Where: Palace of Dur Sharrukin
Why: Lamassu are protective dieties, their guarding statues are meant to warn off the king’s enemies. The artist worked conceptually to show the lamassu with 2 legs frontal view and 4 legs profile view (5 legs in total).
What: Relief of Assyrian Archers Pursuing Enemies
Who: Assyrian (Ashurnasirpal II)
When: 800 BC
Where: Kahlu (Palace of Ashurnasirpal II)
Why: Communicating a clear narrative vs realistic perspective (large figures and bow string behind head). Relief exalts royal power when Ashurnasirpal II drove away enemy forces into the Euphrates river.
What: Relief of Ashurbanipal Hunting Lions
Who: Assyrian (Ashurbanipal)
When: 600 BC
Where: Nineveh
Why: Glorifies the king and shows his ability to fight and protect. However most combat with lions were held in controlled arenas so the king would now be harmed.
What: Stele With Code of Hammurabi
Who: Babylonian (Hammurabi)
When: 1700 BC
Where: Susa
Why: One of the earliest accounts of a law code. Hammurabi in the present of god Samash builds social order and passes judgement. An eye for an eye.
What: Gate of Ishtar
Who: Babylonian (Nebuchadnezzar II)
When: 500 BC
Where: Babylon
Why: Dedicated to the goddess Ishtar. The lions, bulls and dragons detailed on the gate are associated to Babylonian gods and goddesses. Gate is painted and glazed blue to look like its made of lapis lazurli.
What: Tomb of Cyrus
Who: Persian (Cyrus)
When: 500 BC
Where: Pasargadae
Why: Shows how Persian art and monuments drew from other civilizations such as the Sumerians, (ziggurats), Assyrians, ancient Egyptians and Babylonians.
What: Apadana Reliefs
Who: Persians (Darius)
When: 500 BC
Where: Persepolis
Why: Speculated that the reliefs are of idealized social orders and traditions. Tribute processions, Persian royalty, Persian guards and the king recieving tribute are the subject of the central relief panel in the Apadana.
What: Apadana (Audience Hall)
Who: Perisans (Darius)
When: 500 BC
Where: Persepolis
Why: The king recieved tribute here from all the nations in the empire. Decorated with reliefs about bringing tribute and social class.
What: Palette of Narmer
Who: Old Kingdom Egyptians (Narmer)
When: 3000 BC
Where: Hierakonpolis
Why: On of the ealiest historical narratives. Depicts harmony of the two lands, upper and lower egypt.
What: Step Pyramid of Djoser
Who: Old Kingdom Egyptians (Djoser)
When: 2600 BC
Where: Saqqara
Why: Closely resembles a ziggurat but is tomb filled with treasures and possessions for the afterlife. Imhotep was the first recorded artist in history.
What: Statue of Djoser
Who: Old Kingdom Egyptians (Djoser)
When: 2600 BC
Where: Saqqara
Why: Egyptians beliefed in an afterlife and also incarnation through statue. The statue guards the serdab of the mastaba (tomb).
What: Great Pyramids
Who: Old Kingdom Egyptians (Khufu, Khafre, Menkaure)
When: 2500 BC
Where: Giza
Why: Funerary tombs that show not only that the Egyptians believed in an afterlife, but contain reliefs that show everyday life.
What: Great Sphinx
Who: Old Kingdom Egyptians (Khafre)
When: 2500 BC
Where: Giza
Why: Guards the funerary complex of Giza. Is a supernatural godlike being with a lions body and a pharoahs head.
What: Statue of Khafre
Who: Old Kingdom Egyptians
When: 2500 BC
Where: Giza
Why: Shows the falcon god Horrus surrounding Khafre’s headress. Shows Khafre as perfect and godlike as he should be in the afterlife. It was insulting to include any imperfections on the pharoah’s statue because he is an incarnation of a god.
What: Menkaure and Khamererebty
Who: Old Kingdom Egyptians (Menkaure)
When: 2500 BC
Where: Giza
Why: Perfect pharaoh and wife, differentiates between male and female (gender roles). Royalty where clothing while commoners often go nude.
