Art of the Ancient Near East | Assyrian to Achaemenid Persian

Lecture given August 30, 2012

Transcript

1. Art  of  the  Ancient  Near  East   Reading   Stokstad,  39-­‐47     Range:   c.  1500-­‐330  BCE   Assyrian  |  Neo-­‐Babylonian  |   Achaemenid  Persian     Terms/Concepts:   Mesopotamia,  Apadana,  HieraAc   Scale,  Lamassu,  Bent  Axis,   Tribute,  Bas  Relief,     Monument  List     2-­‐10,  Assurnasirpal  II  Killing   Lions,  Assyrian,  875-­‐860  BCE.     2-­‐11,  ReconstrucAon  of  the   Citadel  and  Palace  Complex  of   Sargon  the  II,  Dur  Sharrukin,   Assyrian,  721-­‐706  BCE     2-­‐12,  Lamassu  Figures  at  Gate   A  of  the  Citadel  of  Sargon  II,   721-­‐706  BCE     2-­‐14,    Ishtar  Gate,  Neo-­‐ Babylonian,  6th  Century  BCE     2-­‐18,  Darius  and  Xerxes   Receiving  Tribute,   Achaemenid  Persian,  491-­‐486   BCE  
2. Old  Babylonian:  1792-­‐1750  BCE   Stele  of  Hammurabi,  Old   Babylonian,    1792-­‐1750  BCE  
3. Timeline  of  the  Ancient  Near  East  
4. Assyrian  1350-­‐612  BCE  
5. 2-­‐11,  ReconstrucAon  of  the  Citadel  and  Palace  Complex  of  Sargon  the  II,   Dur  Sharrukin,  Assyrian,  720-­‐705  BCE   Gate  A   Throne  Room   90°   Bent-­‐Axis  
6. 2-­‐11,  ReconstrucAon  of  the  Citadel  and  Palace  Complex  of  Sargon  the  II,   Dur  Sharrukin,  Assyrian,  720-­‐705  BCE   Gate  A   Throne  Room   90°   Bent-­‐Axis   Plan of the Anu Ziggurat and White Temple. Uruk, Iraq. c. 3300-3000 BCE.
7. 2-­‐12,  Lamassu  Figures  from  Gate  A  of  the  Citadel  of  Sargon  II,   Dur  Sharrukin  (Khorsabad),  Iraq,  in  situ,  721-­‐706  BCE.  
8. 2-­‐12,  Lamassu  Figures  at  Gate  A  of  the  Citadel  of  Sargon  II   (Now  in  the  Louvre),  721-­‐706  BCE  
9. Lamassu  Figure  at  Gate  A  of  the  Citadel  of  Sargon  II,  720-­‐705  BCE  
10. Lamassu  Figures  at  Gate  A  of  the  Citadel  of  Sargon  II,  720-­‐705   BCE.  
11. Lamassu  Figure  at  Gate  A  of  the   Citadel  of  Sargon  II,  720-­‐705  BCE   Stele  of  Naram  Sin,  Akkadian,   2254-­‐2218  BCE  
12. Assyrian  Soldiers  Torturing  the  Soldiers  of  Lachich,   Palace  of  Sennacherib,  Nineveh,  c.  700-­‐695  BCE.  
13. Assyrian  Soldiers  Torturing  the  Soldiers  of  Lachich,   Palace  of  Sennacherib,  Nineveh,  c.  700-­‐695  BCE.   “I  flayed  as  many  nobles  as  had  rebelled  against  me   [and]  draped  their  skins  over  the  pile  [of  corpses];   some  I  spread  out  within  the  pile,  some  I  erected   on  stakes  upon  the  pile  ...  I  flayed  many  right   through  my  land  [and]  draped  their  skins  over  the   walls.”  -­‐-­‐Ashurnasirpal  
14. Lachich  Soldiers  being   impaled,  Palace  of   Sennacherib,  Nineveh,   c.  700-­‐695  BCE.   “I  captured  soldiers  alive  [and]   erected  [them]  on  stakes  before   their  ciAes.”  –Shalmaneser  III  
15. 2-­‐10,  Assurnasirpal  II  Killing  Lions,  Throne  Room  of   the  Palace  of  Asshurnasirpal  II,  Kalhu  (Nimrud),  Iraq,   Assyrian,  875-­‐860  BCE.   Ashurnasirpal  =    “Ashur  guards  the  heir”  
16. Lion  Hunt,  from  the  throne  room  of  Assurbanipal,  Nineveh,  647  BCE   Ashurbanipal  =  “Ashur  is  creator  of  the  son”  
17. Lion  Hunt,  Palace  of  Assurbanipal,  Assyrian,  647  BCE  
18. Dying  Lion,  Throne  Room  of  Ashurbanipal,  Nineveh,  647  BCE  
19. Dead  Lion,  Throne  Room  of  Ashurbanipal,  Nineveh,  647  BCE  
20. Dying  Lioness,  from  the  palace  of  Ashurbanipal,   Nineveh,  c.  647  BCE.  
21. Pg.  41,  Enemies  Crossing  the  Euphrates  to  Escape  Assyrian   Archers,  from  the  Palace  of  Assurnasirpal  II,  Kalhu  (Nimrud),   Iraq,  875-­‐860  BCE.  
22. 2-­‐13,  Assurbanipal  and  his  Queen  in  the  Garden,   Palace  of  Asshurbanipal,  Nineveh  (Kuyunjik),  Iraq,  647   BCE.   Head  of  Teoman,  King  of  Susa  
23. Neo-­‐Babylonian:  612-­‐539  BCE  
24. Babylon  of  Nebuchadnezzar  II,  Iraq,  c.  600  BCE.    (See   1-­‐14).  
26. 2-­‐14,  ReconstrucAon  of   Nebuchadnezzar  II’s   Babylon  with  Ishtar  Gate,   Neo-­‐Babylonian,  6th  Century   BCE  
27. Ishtar  Gate,  Neo-­‐Babylonian,  Babylon,  c.   575  BCE.    (See  2-­‐15)  
28. Ishtar  Gate,  Neo-­‐Babylonian,  Babylon,  c.  575  BCE.     (See  2-­‐15)  
29. Hanging  Gardens   of  Babylon   2-­‐14,  ReconstrucAon  of   Nebuchadnezzar  II’s  Babylon  with   Ishtar  Gate,  Neo-­‐Babylonian,  6th   Century  BCE   Throne  Room  Wall,  Neo-­‐ Babylonian,  Babylon,  c.   575  BCE.    (See  2-­‐15)  
30. Ishtar  Gate,  Neo-­‐Babylonian,   6th  Century  BCE   Dragons  for  Marduk   Lions  for  Ishtar   Bulls  for  Adad  
31. Samples of lapis lazuli.
32. Material  Makers  
34. Achaemenid  Persian:  539-­‐331  BCE  
35. ReconstrucAon  of  Persepolis,  c.  518-­‐460  BCE    
36. Plan  of  Persepolis,  c.  518-­‐460  BCE    
38. Apadana  of  Darius  and  Xerxes,  Achaemenid  Persian,  518-­‐460  BCE  
39. Lion  akacking  an  Antelope,  Apadana,  Persepolis,   Apadana,  518-­‐460  BCE    
40. Stairs  and  Processional  Friezes,  Apadana,  Achaemenid   Persian,  518-­‐460  BCE  
41. Stairs,  Apadana,  Achaemenid  Persian,  518-­‐460  BCE  
42. Processional  Friezes,  Apadana,  Achaemenid  Persian,   518-­‐460  BCE  
43. Processional  Friezes,  Apadana,  Achaemenid   Persian,  518-­‐460  BCE  
44. 2-­‐18,  Darius  and  Xerxes  Receiving  Tribute,  detail  from   the  Apadana,  Persepolis,  Iran,    Achaemenid  Persian,   491-­‐486  BCE.  
45. 5-­‐49,  Alexander  the  Great  Confronts  Darius  III  at  the  Bakle  of   Issos  (“Alexander  Mosaic”),  House  of  the  Faun,  Pompeii,  Italy,   c.  1st  century  CE.    (Possibly  based  on  a  lost  painAng  akributed   to  Philoxenos  of  Eretria  or  Helen  of  Egypt,    c.  310  BCE.)  
46. Seal-stones were widely used throughout the empire to ratify official and personal documents and to claim ownership of commodities. They demonstrate the choice by an individual of a single artistic emblem to indicate him or herself. The most frequently depicted image in Achaemenid art (both monumental and small-scale) is the figure of a hero, often to be identified as a king, mastering beasts. In individual as well as official imperial art the image of the king exerting control over nefarious forces to maintain a balanced, symmetrical whole, was widely favoured. Art had therefore become a 78 This idea of showing the king in the central role traditionally attributed to deities was repeated time and time again, in many different contexts throughout the empire. Drawing from different local traditions, the king is depicted as godhead on architectural and free-standing sculptures, on seal-stones and coins and on embossed metal vessels. Imperial texts make it clear that the kings saw themselves as in direct communication with the deity Ahuramazda, holding their positions because of divine favour. It is a recurrent theme both on imperial architectural sculpture and on Achaemenid seal-stones. stone and mud brick, architectural sculpture in stone and brick, glazed bricks, wall paintings on wood and stone and plaster, rock reliefs and free-standing sculpture in stone and metal. On a smaller scale, there are seals (preserved both as stone artefacts and also as impressions left on the documents they ratified), coins, jewellery, weapons, horse trappings, vessels of stone and glass and metal, personal effects such as mirrors, ornamental wood and ivory carvings and textiles. These artistic remains complement the Greek and Near Eastern texts to provide a complex image of the empire. THE ART OF KINGSHIP The concept of a harmonious world order is the central theme of the entire programme of 1 THE ACHAEMENID PERSIAN EMPIRE (c.550–330), founded by Cyrus II, centred on southwest Iran and lower Mesopotamia. Under Darius I (521–486) it reached its greatest extent, stretching from the Aegean Sea to the Indus River, from Egypt to the modern Central Asian republics. When Alexander of Macedon conquered the empire in 331, he retained much of the Persian administrative system and made use of many pre-existing artistic channels to propagate his new ideology of empire. 20˚ 30˚ 40˚ 50˚ 60˚ 70˚ 80˚ 40˚ 30˚ Ss Ss Ss Ss Ss Ss Ss Ss Ss Ss Ss Gordium Halicarnassus Kelaenae Güre Meydancikkâle Deve Hüyük Taxila Tyre Jerusalem Tarsus Damascus Samaria Sidon Jericho Ascalon Lachish Sais Bubastis Pazarlı Erzincan Aleppo Thapsacus Mari Nimrud Nineveh Kharga Oasis Ur Uruk Ashur Hasanlu Al Mina Ctesiphon Bisitun Godin Tepe Baba Jan Anshan Carchemish Altıntepe Byblos Kerkenes Dagı ˇ Bactra (Balkh) Merv Peshawar Multan Cyropolis Kabul Ai-Khanoum Samarkand Rhagae Gaza Miletus Thebes Sogdian Rock Susa Babylon Seleucia Sardis Ecbatana Persepolis Elephantine Ain Manawir Pasargadae Dascylium Larisa am Hermos Elmalı Limyra Xanthus Hacımusalar Afyon Labraunda Pasa Tepe ¸ Erzurum Köskerbaba Höyük ¸ Sinop Panticapaeum (Kerch) Memphis Priene Bayindir Magnesia ad Maeandrum Ephesus Abusir Alexandria ad Issum Alexandria Charax Alexandria (in Carmania) Alexandria Margiana Alexandria Areion Alexandria Prophthasia Alexandria Arachoton (Kandahar) Alexandria Oreiton Alexandria (south of Kabul) Alexandria ad Caucasum Alexandria Eschate Alexandria Oxiana Nicaea Bucephala 326BC Alexandria ad Indum Alexandria (in Egypt) Tigris N ile In dus Za radros (Sutlej) Acesines Hydaspes (Jhelum) (C henab) O xus (Syr Dar ya) A raxes Cy rus (Kura) Euphr ate s Red Sea Canal J axartes (A m u Darya) B L A C K S E A C A S P I A N S E A M E D I T E R R A N E A N S E A RED SEA PER S IA N G U LF ARAL SEA A R A B I A N S E A AEGEAN SEA C A U C A S U S HIN DU KU SH ZAGROS MTS T H A R D E S E R T I R A N I A N P L A T E A U PERSIS SATTAG YDIA HYRCANI A ASSYRIA CAPPADOCIA PHRYGIA PAPHLAGONIA PISIDIA LYCIA CARIA LYDIA CYPRUS BITHYNIA DRANGIANA CILICIA SOGDIANA PHOENICIA NUBIA MAKA SCYTHIA A N A T O L I A A R A B I A I N D I A L I B YA E G Y P T S I N D GEDROSIA ARACHOSIA GANDARA BACTRIA MARGIANA PARTHIA MEDIA ELAM BEYOND THE RIVER ARMENIA COLCHIS CARMANIA CHORASMIA S A K A SEISTAN ARIA ancient coastline Sagalassus 333BC Issus 333BC Gaugamela 331BC Granicus 334BC N 0 0 300 miles 400 kms 1 The Achaemenid Empire extent of the Achaemenid Empire, c.500 BC administrative centre extent of Alexander’s Empire, 323 BC Alexander’s route Alexander’s commanders’ routes major battle siege cities founded by Alexander fortifications architecture inscriptions sculpture ceramics metalwork tablets sealstones stone vessels Ss glass painting coins papyrus Persia  aler  the  Achaemenids  
47. Persia  aler  the  Achaemenids   Iranian dialect written in Aramaic), as well as distinctive art forms. The art of the Parthians is rather hard to define, as they were more collectors than originators. In general it reflects the many nationalities incorporated into their empire, but there are some nearly universal features. Reflecting nomadic origins, 30˚ 40˚ 50˚ 60˚ 70˚ 40˚ 30˚ 20˚ Alexandria Areion (Herat) Alexandria (Merv) Abarshahr (Nishapur) Hecatompylos (Shahr-i Qumis) Nisa (Mihrakert) Apamea Saramana Syrinx Laodicea Kangavar Epardus Tambrax (Sari) Rhagae (Tehran) Spasinou Charax Persepolis Susa Bisitun Ecbatana (Hamadan) Nineveh Artemita Seleucia Edessa Taxila Metsketa Kabul Alexandropolis Kandahar Bactra (Zariaspa) Alexandria Oxiana Macacanda (Samarkand) Alexandria Meshed Gabae Praaspa Artaxata Gaugamela Arbela Borsippa Tyre Circesium Singarra Nisibis Tigranocerta (Siirt) Carrhae (Harran) Zeugma Jerusalem Ashur Hatra Ctesiphon Vologesias Babylon Uruk (Warka) Dura-Europos Palmyra (Tudmur) Ti gris Euphrates Indus Jaxartes Oxus (Am u Darya) O chus Erym a ndrus (Hel m and) Atrek Nile L. Urmia L.Sevan L.Van M E D I T E R R A N E A N S E A B L A C K S E A P E R S I A N G U L F CASPIAN SEA RED SEA A R A B I A N S E A S A L T D E S E R T I R A N I A N P L A T E A U KHYBER PASS TAURUS MTS ZAGROS MTS KO P E T DA G CASPIAN GATES ELBURZ MTS D A H A E A R M E N I A PUNJAB G E D R O S I A DRA N G IA N A A RA CHOSIA A R I A B A C T R I A M A R G I A N A S O G D I A N A C H O R A S M I A A S TA U E N E P O N T U S G A LAT I A C A P PA D O C I A LY D I A S Y R I A JUDAEA I B E R I A C I L I C I A P H RY G I A HYRCANIA P E R S I S ELY M A IS COMMAGENE SOPHENE ARZANENE GORDYENE OSRHOENE LYCIA PARTHIA (PARTHYENE) MEDIA ATROPATENE M E D I A CHARACENE (MESENE) E G Y P T A R A B I A captured by Parthians AD 52 Parthian capital 148-147 BC Parthian royal palace falls to Rome AD 115; 164/165; to Rome AD 198 Antony fails to take city for Rome, 36 BC captured by Rome 69 BC Parthian from 113 BC; Roman AD 163 controlled by Romans AD 30 53 BC Parthians defeat Rome Parthians storm city 40 BC N 0 0 350 miles 500 kms 1 The Parthian Empire, 150 BC-AD 250 Parthian heartland (Mithradates I, 171-138 BC) Parthian migration extent of the Parthian Empire under Mithradates II, 124-87 BC Parthian architecture Elymais, vassal kingdom 81 BC-AD 224 Osrhoene, independent 131 BC-AD 216 Characene, vassal kingdom 125-121 BC Parthian mint were dictated by geography. Separated from Iran and subsequent nomadic attack by the Zagros Mountains, Mesopotamia offered rich cultural traditions, and was the centre of the empire. Most surviving Parthian architecture is from the west. The powerful trading cities on the Euphrates, the traditional border with Rome, fused Eastern and Western motifs into a new style. By 113 BC, the Greek city of Dura-Europus was taken, and the Euphrates River was established as a border with Rome. This city became a trading metropolis, and struck Parthian tetradrachms (coins four times the weight of the standard drachm), a preferred silver coin in the west.
48. WEST ASIA 300 BC–AD 600 30˚ 40˚ 50˚ 60˚ 70˚ 40˚ 30˚ 20˚ Veh Ardashir Nehavend Abarshahr (Nishapur) Ram Hurmizd Kvas Peshawar Hurmizd Ardashir Bost Stakhr Kangavar Salmas Bamiyan Susa Naqsh-i Bahram Shiraz Warka (Uruk) Hatra Gundeshapur Kuh-i Khwaja Tashkent Fortat Bishapur Edessa Ganzak Ghiz Kabul Kholm Darabgird Dinavar Balkh (Bactra) Zuzan Yazd Nisibis Ahmantan Herat Rokhuadh Rayy (Rhagae) Jus Samarkand Kerman Amida Antioch Damascus Merv Amol Carrhae Nahr-Tire Jerusalem Rev Ardashir Ctesiphon Gur Babylon Dura-Europos Palmyra Tigris Euphrates Araxes Indus S ir Da rya Amu D arya Ochus Eryma ndrus Atrek Nile L. Urmia L.Sevan L.Van M E D I T E R R A N E A N S E A B L A C K S E A PER SIAN GULF A R A B I A N S E A CA S P I A N S E A RED SEA KO P E T DA G S A LT D E S E R T IRANIAN PLATEAU KHYBER PASS TAURUS MTS ELBURZ MTS Z A G R O S M T S CASPIAN GATE M A C H E L O N I A PUNJAB D R A N G I A N A M A R G I A N A ( M E R V ) S O G D I A N A K H WA R I Z M ( C H O R A S M I A ) PA R T H I A HYRCANI A P O N T U S G A LAT I A C A P PA D O C I A LYDIA ARABISTAN JUDAEA IBERIA(GEORGIA) C I L I C I A PHRYGIA P E R S I S ( F A R S ) PATISHKHWAGAR S U S I A N A A B A R S H A H R G A N D H A R A PA R ATA N ( PA R A D E N E ) M A K R A N T O R A N C A R M A N I A ( K E R M A N ) ALBANIA ARMENIA S Y R I A MEDIA ATROPATENE A R I A ASURISTAN MAISHAN ELYMAIS E G Y P T A R A B I A To Europe To China Han dynasty 206 BC-AD 221 to Kashgar (W China) controlled by Shapur I defeats Roman emperor Valerian 260 defeats Shapur I 260; remains associated with Rome Holy Sepulchre destroyed, 'True Cross' carried to Ctesiphon 614 captured briefly by Sasanians 613 Roman mosaics 1st-6th centuries AD taken by Sasanians 256 centre of Nestorian Christianity palace of Khosrow II 590; 591-628; fell to Arabs 637 palace of Ardashir I Buddhist complex world's tallest standing Buddha; destroyed 21st century 2 The Sasanian Empire, AD 250-650 Sasanian heartland extent of the Sasanian Empire under Shapur I, AD 241-272 Sasanian mints Sasanian palaces Sasanian rock sculptures area of textile production area of glazed ware/glass area of silver production area of bronze production Silk Road Sasanian architecture N 0 0 350 miles 500 kms Persia  aler  the  Achaemenids  
49. CriAcal  Thinking  QuesAons   1.  How  are  animals  used  to  convey  power  and   powerlessness  in  Near  Eastern  art?   2.  How  does  the  art/architecture  of  Assyrian  palaces   differ  from  the  Apadana  in  Persepolis?    What  does   this  say  about  their  respecAve  cultures.   3.  What  is  the  funcAon  of  the  ziggurat  in  ancient  Near   Eastern  religion?   4.  What  kind  of  image  do  the  kings  of  the  Near  Eastern   world  culAvate?    Think  of  both  their  physical   representaAons  and  the  representaAons  of  their  lives.   5.  What  are  some  common  arAsAc  themes  that  link  the   art  of  the  Near  Eastern  cultures?