Mesopotamian Clay Plaque of Bird-Headed Figures

£ 595.00

A Mesopotamian clay plaque depicting two male figures with bird heads. Both figures have one arm raised above their head and the other outstretched. Their bodies are slightly twisted inwards towards each other as they look in each other’s direction. A crescent moon is displayed between their heads and an eight-pointed star between their waists. The reverse is unadorned with some minor residue.

Date: Circa 2000 BC
Provenance: Ex London dealer collection, acquired 1980s-2000s.
Condition: Fine condition, minor repairs to the heads of the figures and to the reverse with some visible residue.

SOLD

SKU: LD-796BL Category: Tags: ,

Mesopotamian gods were closely identified with astral phenomena, which the Babylonians studied. The moon, sun and the planet Venus were particularly important to the Mesopotamian culture. The moon was the god Sin/Nanna, the sun was the god Shamash/Utu and Venus was the goddess Ishtar/Inanna. Both Sin and Ishtar are present on this plaque in the form of the moon (Sin) and the star (Ishtar). In the first millennium, depictions of bird-headed Apkallu sages were incorporated into the reliefs of Neo-Assyrian king’s palace walls. These creatures were believed to magically avert malevolent forces. This may explain why the figures in this plaque are in a combative pose although they do not exactly resemble the Apkallus.

Weight 96 g
Dimensions L 7.2 x W 6.7 cm
Culture

Pottery and Porcelain

Region

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