Stele Of Naram-Sin

Mesopotamia, situated between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, is often referred to as the cradle of civilization, encompassing various influential periods. Among these different periods, the Akkadian and Babylonian periods stand out for their distinct artistic and cultural achievements. The Akkadian Dynasty, from 2300 to 2150 BCE, represents the first unification of Mesopotamia under a centralized empire, where rulers were often depicted with divine attributes. In contrast, the Babylonian period, spanning 1800 to 1600 BCE, saw the reestablishment of a unified rule under Hammurabi, where kings were portrayed as recipients of divine authority. These differing perspectives on kingship are vividly reflected in the art of the respective periods,
The material of this piece is pink sandstone, the edges are not cut perfectly, and it comes to a rounded point at the top of the stone. The overall height of the Victory stele is approximately 6 feet and 7 inches tall. This stele commemorates a historical event of military victory and defeat of the Lullubi. This shows how political leaders use art to convey their power. The detailing of the stone shows Naram-Sin leading his army up a mountain, as stands alone and taller than the rest of his men. The enemies are shown as dead or begging for mercy. Naram-Sin is depicted wearing a horned helmet, which signifies divinity. This is also the first time that a king has appeared as a god in Mesopotamian art. Lastly, the stele shows 3 stars shining above the top of the mountain, which are meant to shine on Naram-Sin’s
The material of this piece is a tall black basalt stele that is in the shape of a rounded arch. The stele is 7 feet and 4 inches high. There are two distinct aspects of the stele. The first is the sculpture at the top of the stele that makes up approximately 1/4th of the entire piece. The details portray the Babylonian king, Hammurabi, in the presence of Shamash, the flame shouldered sun god. Shamash is wearing a headdress with four pairs of horns on it. In this, the artist explored some foreshortening which suggests depth in the artwork by representing certain aspects and details at an angle. This technique is also done with Shamash’s beard and throne. Hammurabi is shown raising his hand in respect to the god as Shamash is handing over a rod and ring. The rod and ring symbolize authority and builders’ tools of measuring rods and coiled rope. These items that the god is handing the king connote the ruler’s capacity to build social order, measure people’s lives, render judgement, and enforce the laws that are listed on the stele. This brings us to the second part of the stele, which is the laws of Hammurabi. These are written out in 3,500 lines of cuneiform characters, underneath the sculpture at the