(artist(s) unknown, originally located in the Assyrian palace of Assurnasirpal II, Nimrud). (883 to 59 bc). Lamassu [limestone]. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

The Lamassu in the context of their creation were conceptually sentries guarding the entrance to the Assyrian king Assurnasirpal II’s palace. In terms of utility, they were reliefs supporting the entrance gateway. The Lamassu are heavily abstracted yet intricate figures. The simplification of forms lends further weight to figures that combine the attributes of raw animal power, fantastical inaccessibility, and human intelligence and ability to reason. They are massive, some over ten feet tall, direct and rigid, clearly meant to inspire a feeling of calm to those who reside in the palace and fear, or at least a state-sponsored insight into the character of the king, in foreign visitors. In this regard, they are propaganda.

The transition from the Neolithic to bronze/iron age expression specific to the Near East is evident in at least two ways. The figure’s body is rendered with the stiff, planar formatting consistent with works such as the Votive Statue of Gudea and the figures found on the Stele of Hammurabi. In addition, the connected, heavy brows, idealized facial features and enlarged eyes are a combination of formal choices common in ancient Near Eastern art. A break from common works of the era is the reference to time. Seen from straight-on, the figure assumes a pose of absolute militaristic discipline. Seen from the side, it strides forward at an even pace, referencing separate moments depending on the perspective of the observer.

As typical with ancient works, the degree of abstraction is directly related to the conceptual intention of the sponsor, who almost always wields considerable political and/or religious power. As is typical with most artistic expression throughout time, unbalanced harmonies overpower interest-generating equivalencies. In this case, form severity, line and shape geometry and defined, abstracted texture bind while the conceptual combination of human, fanastical and animal subjects demand interest (not to mention the dramatic size of the figures).