-
As the result of a brutal culture, the Assyrians acquired massive resources, and the kings became very rich. In Assyria, all men were obliged to serve the military at any time, and state officials were under the scope of the military. Strong kingship, war, and a divine mandate to conquer were represented in palace reliefs and colossal guardian figures. The palaces were on an entirely new scale of size.
-
Lamassu supported and protected important doorways in Assyrian palaces. It has the hybrid composition of the head of a human, the body of a bull or a lion, and the wings of a bird. The horned cap attests to its divinity, and the belt signifies its power. The sculpture has five legs so that when you look at it from the front, it appears standing, but a side view gives the appearance of movement. To ancient Assyrians, Lamassu served as a protective gatekeeper at the entrance of palaces. -
Ashurbanipal Hunting Lions are a series of low wall reliefs that would have decorated a hallway. These reliefs depict hunting scenes and speak to the power of the king. The lions were symbols of the violence of nature, and the king killing the lions was a symbolic gesture of keeping nature at bay and restoring order to chaos. This relief represents the authority the king had over nature, and echoes the intimidating and propagandistic themes in art during this period.