Ancient Near Eastern Art: The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, v ...
Ancient Near Eastern Art: The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, v ...
Ancient Near Eastern Art: The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, v ...
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28<br />
For ancient man the world was full tures were represented; among them were<br />
<strong>of</strong> supernatural spirits, beneficent and the bull-man, the human-headed bull,<br />
malevolent, who had to be constantly and the lion-headed eagle, Imdugud. But<br />
appeased or repelled. By the third millen- during the Akkadian dynasty (2334-2154<br />
nium B.C. a few <strong>of</strong> these spirits had been B.C.) a rich variety <strong>of</strong> these fabulous crearepresented<br />
in tangible forms that, al- tures were placed into the artistic repertory.<br />
though monstrous, were probably less On the illustrated seal (fig. 30) is carved<br />
frightening than previously, when their the snake god, whose form is human<br />
form was left solely to a believer's imagi- above and reptilian below; he is apnation.<br />
<strong>The</strong> specific identity <strong>of</strong> most <strong>of</strong> proached from front and behind by minor<br />
these creatures is not known because deities with scorpions or snakes for hands<br />
there is so little coincidence <strong>of</strong> textual and feet. One <strong>of</strong> these divinities is winged,<br />
description and visual representation. while the other has felines emerging wing-<br />
But <strong>of</strong>ten their function is suggested by like from its back. <strong>The</strong> domain <strong>of</strong> the<br />
their appearance or from the context in snake god was the underworld, and bewhich<br />
they are depicted.<br />
cause he is <strong>of</strong>ten associated with grow-<br />
When represented in art, these super- ing vegetation or, as here, with scorpions<br />
natural creatures were always made up and felines and the gatepost <strong>of</strong> Inanna<br />
<strong>of</strong> naturally occurring forms combined (the Sumerian goddess <strong>of</strong> love and war),<br />
in an unnatural manner. Wings were he is thought to be a fertility deity, per<strong>of</strong>ten<br />
used to transform a real creature haps <strong>of</strong> Iranian inspiration.<br />
into a fabulous one, as was the mixing <strong>of</strong> Monstrous images were <strong>of</strong>ten borhuman<br />
and animal features (see fig. 64). rowed from other cultures, either with or<br />
Until the last half <strong>of</strong> the third millen- withoutheir original identity. <strong>The</strong> image<br />
nium B.C. only a few such mixed crea- <strong>of</strong> the sphinx-a creature with a lion's<br />
29<br />
26