Part One - Ancient Mesopotamia and the Iconography of its Art Ancient greek word meaning "between the rivers' :Today most of the area is in iraq The art conveys a sense of movement Lioness-monster-goddess? o Mixture of lion and human form 0 Limestone 0 3500-2800 BCE From Elam (border of Sumer and modern Iran) Lilith Goddess of death 0 Terracotta 2000-1800 BCE Has wings, standing on lions, claw like feet associated with some kind of power (power to bring death) : Reconstruction of lyre o Panels in the front have 4 different scenes Ram in a thicket % One of the supports for an allar or offering table o From Sumer cemetery : Cylinder seal with beast combats Sun god Shamash Mesopotamia has two rivers and egypt had one Instant need for prayer Sculpture: Worshippers from temple at Eshnunna (2700 BCE) The prayer gesture is an iconographic type recognizable in this culture Most common figure: Gudea of Lagash o Always showing the gesture of prayer : Stele of Hummurabi of Babylon at top of Hummurabi o Law and prayer : Stele of Eannatum of Lagash o 2600 BCE Stele of Naram-Sin of Akkad 0 2254-2218 BCE o Hierarchy of scale is more like egypt (like the narmer palette)
Part Two - Mesopotamian Architecture and Assyrian Art Part Three - Minoan Art Part Four - Mycen