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Source Description
The genius (apkallu) was a benevolent deity, who also had a protective function. His elaborate garments, with intricate depictions of animal hunts and ritual scenes along the edges, are the typical apparel of courtiers in the palace of King Ashurnasirpal II. This relief has a royal inscription of Ashurnasirpal II carved directly over the figure, in which the ruler boasts of his military campaigns.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
33507
label
Relief with Winged Genius (Apkallu)
core
obj
dtoType
sculpture
citationUrl
pageCount
3
Source metadata
id
33507
sourceUrl
contentType
sculpture
stage
normalized
title
Relief with Winged Genius (Apkallu)
description
The genius (apkallu) was a benevolent deity, who also had a protective function. His elaborate garments, with intricate depictions of animal hunts and ritual scenes along the edges, are the typical apparel of courtiers in the palace of King Ashurnasirpal II. This relief has a royal inscription of Ashurnasirpal II carved directly over the figure, in which the ruler boasts of his military campaigns.
provenance
[Excavated at Nimrud, Iraq, 1845-47, NW Palace Room P, no. 2]; Sergy Sethian, Paris, [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; Joseph Brummer, Paris and New York, 1913, by purchase [Brummer inv. no. P311]; Henry Walters, Baltimore, 1923, by purchase; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.
date
883-859 BCE (Neo-Assyrian)
citationUrl
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
genreSpecific
Sculpture
bas-reliefs (sculpture)
imageCount
3
pageCount
3
source
import
dimensions
units
cm
width
199.4
height
99.1
depth
15.2
dimensionsRaw
78 1/2 x 39 x 6 in. (199.4 x 99.1 x 15.2 cm)
style
Assyrian
Source extras
cul
Neo-Assyrian
inscriptions
[Translation from composite text of Cuneiform Digital Library RIME 2.0.101.023] (Property of) the palace of Ashurnasirpal
vice-regent of Aszszur
chosen of the gods Enlil and Ninurta
beloved of the gods Anu and Dagan
destructive weapon of the great gods
strong king
king of the universe
king of Assyria
son of Tukulti-Ninurta (II)
great king
strong king
king of the universe
/ king of Assyria
son of Adad-nerari (II)
great king
strong king
king of the universe
king of Assyria
valiant man who acts with the suppor of Aszszur
his lord
and has no rival among the princes of the four quarters
marvelous shepherd
/ fearless in battle
mighty flood-tide which has no opponent
the king who subdues those insubordinate to him
he who rules all peoples
strong male who treads / upon the necks of his foes
trampler of all enemies
he who breaks up the forces of the rebellious
the king who acts with the support of the great gods
his lords
and has conquered all lands
over all the highlands / has gained dominion and received their tribute
capturer of hostages
he who is victorious over all countries; When / Aszszur
the lord who called me by name (and) made my sovereignty supreme
placed his merciless weapon in my lordly arms
the extensive troops of the Lullumu / I felled in battle. With the help of the gods Szamasz and Adad
the gods my supporters
the troops of the lands Nairi
the land Habhu
the land Szubaru
and the land Nibur
like the god Adad / the devastator
I thundered over them. The king who subdued (the territory stretching) from the opposite bank of the Tigris to Mount Lebanon and the Great Sea
the entire land Laqu (and) the land Suhu including the city Rapiqu. / He conquered from the source of the river Subnat to the land Urartu. (The territory stretching) from the passes of mount Kirruri to the land Gilzanu
from the opposite bank of the Lower Zab / to the city Til Bari which is upstream from the land Zaban
from the city Til-sza-Abtani to the city Til-sza-Zabdani
the cities of Hirimu
Harautu
(which are) fortresses / of Karduniasz
I brought (those lands) within the boundaries of my land. I accounted (the people) from the passes of Moun Babitu to Mount Haszmar as people of my land. In the lands over which I gained dominion I always appointed my governors. / They entered servitude. Ashurnasirpal
attentive prince
worshipper of the great gods
ferocious dragon
conqueror of cities and the entire highlands
king of lords
encircler / of the obstanate
crowned with splendor
fearless in battle
merciless hero
he who stirs up strife
praiseworthy king
shepherd
protection of the (four) quarters
the king whose command disintegrates mountains / and seas
the one who by his lordly conflict has brought under one authority ferocious (and) mericeless kings from east to west: The city of Kalhu / of old
which Shalmaneser
king of Assyria
a prince who preceded me
had built -- this city had become dilapidated
it lay dormant. I took people which I had conquered from the lands / over which I gained dominion
from the land Suhu
(from) the entire land of Laqu
(from) the city Sirqu which is at the crossing fo the Euphrates
(from) the entire land of Zamua
from Bit-Adini
and the land Hatti / and from Lubarna
the Patinu. I settled them therein. I cleared away the old ruin hill (and) dug down to water level. Down to a depth of 120 layers of brick / I sank (the foundation pit). A palace of cedar
cypress
dapranu-juniper
boxwood
meskannu-wood
terebinth
and tamarisk / as my royal residence (and) for my lordly leisure for eternity
I founded (it) therein. Beasts of montains and seas in white limestone / and parutu-alabaster
I made (replicas of them) (and) stationed (them) at their doors.I decorated it in a splendid fashion; I surrounded it with knobbed nails of bronze. Doors of cedar
cypress
/ daprani-juniper
(and) meskannu-wood
I hung in its doorways. Silver
gold
tin
bronze
iron
booty from the lands / over which I gained dominion
I took in great quantities and put therein. [https://cdli.ucla.edu/P272830]
reign
Ashurnasirpal II (884-859 BC)
med
gypsum alabaster
creator_ids
7763
collection_ids
ANE
exhibition_ids
none
Page inventory
seq
1
type
photo
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f60997861ea6c1e5
hasOcr
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no
seq
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type
photo
mediaId
bd8b7f581aa3ea7c
hasOcr
no
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seq
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type
photo
mediaId
7e34e57abf7b77ad
hasOcr
no
hasDescription
no