Assyrian Relief Essay

While visiting the Los Angeles County Museum of Art I was struck by a piece by the title of Fragment of a Painted Assyrian Relief. This piece, made by the Akkadian culture during the Mesopotamia Era, is approximately 10 3/8 x 5. 1 ¾ inch in size. This fine, yet very ancient, work is crafted out of limestone. Fine, durable, brown stone and red pigment, it is especially found in Northern Iraq. Having a short written record, this relief sculpture once formed part of a much larger composition, and it depicts the head of an Assyrian sovereign, probably Sargon. In fact, the stone head of Sargon contains certain cultural elements that represent royalty and authority like the patterned beard and braided long hair. Although this sculpture is only mere fragment of the actual sculpture, the head of the Akkadian ruler presents the viewer with great meaning in elements, content, and cultural significance. The fragment of the sculpture illustrates the head of the Assyrian leader Sargon. This piece is approximately 10 3/8 x 5. 1 ¾ inch in size and still contained some of the red pigments from the 7th century. This particular piece is one of Phil Berg’s collection and was founded in the Northern region of Iraq in 1971. In fact, during my observation of the Assyrian piece, connection between this 4- 5000 year old figure and some of the lecture materials learned from
class were classified and accurate. The fragment is made of limestone with some of the pigments that still remained from the Mesopotamia era. One specific form that is presented in this sculpture are lines. The line quality in this work was bold, with an overall horizontal feel to the work; the curvilinear lines on the patterned beard made the emphasis a kind one. With the eye line pointed skyward the figure projects grandiose imagery of coal shadow used during the Assyrian time. In fact, the diagonal lines on the patterned beard could signify wind currents were blowing against the beard making some kind of movement. In addition, the curvilinear lines on the braided hair and patterned beard symbolizes royalty of Sargon the King. The head posture can be seen in a vertical stance which demonstrated the he was in a formal and dignified stance. Another specific form that is presented in the sculpture are shapes. This sculpture was carved in a relief form and clearly uses a subtractive method of limestone. For example, the patterned beard seems to be in a form of three sections that overlapped one another. In fact, the patterned beard was designed with decorative shapes, and the boundaries are pertained to geometric shapes of square figures. In addition, the braided hair are represented in an arch and circular figures. In particular, the upper part of the beard seems to pertain some of the similar shapes as the braided hair. The shapes found in the volume surrounding the mass figure are squares, arches, and circles forms. The fragment sculpture of King Sargon also demonstrates intuitive forms, and one of the forms that is particularly well presented is rhythm.
There are two types of rhythm forms- dynamic and controlled- and the sculpture clearly demonstrates a controlled form. For example, the face structure of the sculpture is facing in a horizontal posture. The elements like the patterned beard and braided hair are organized. In particular, the patterned beard is in the form of squares that are in a registered style. In fact, other elements like the nose, eye, ear, and mouth are structured in an equivalent form to a normal human
face.