The 1910 caption reads: "Winged deities - an Assyrian relief. The original is in the British Museum in London." This genius, or demi-god, was part of a grouping of winged creatures facing a stylized tree, a scene repeated numerous times in the palace. They appear to be performing fertility rites associated with the date palm, a tree held sacred by the Assyrians because it provides food, drink, wood and shelter. This relief, once brightly painted, is a fragment from the Northwest palace built by the Assyrian king Ashirnasirpal II (883—859 BCE) in his capital city at Kalhu, now the Iraqi city of
The 1910 caption reads: "Winged deities - an Assyrian relief. The original is in the British Museum in London." This genius, or demi-god, was part of a grouping of winged creatures facing a stylized tree, a scene repeated numerous times in the palace. They appear to be performing fertility rites associated with the date palm, a tree held sacred by the Assyrians because it provides food, drink, wood and shelter. This relief, once brightly painted, is a fragment from the Northwest palace built by the Assyrian king Ashirnasirpal II (883—859 BCE) in his capital city at Kalhu, now the Iraqi city of Nimrud. Dozens of huge stone slabs carved with scenes of human and divine figures decorated the palace walls.
Size: 3576px × 5250px
Photo credit: © Ivy Close Images / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No
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