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This votive statue was commissioned by Lu-Nanna, most likely a dignitary who allied with Hammurabi, king of Babylon, about the time of his conquest of southern Mesopotamia. It was intended to curry favor with the king, secure his protection, and ensure the prosperity of his kingdom. The figureís right arm is bent and his hand is raised to his mouth in a traditional gesture of deference, supplication, or prayer. Depicted in relief on one side of the base is an image of a praying figure similar to the statue itself, kneeling before a seated god. On the other side is a recumbent ram, associated with the god Amurru/Martu.
Ancient inventories of Hittite cultic objects include lists of ritual vessels in zoomorphic forms that were dedicated to the gods associated with those animals. The narrative relief encircling the upper section of this cup illustrates a ritual in which a god atop a stag receives a liquid offering poured from a beak-spouted pitcher.
This Egyptian battle-axe is embellished with inlays of semiprecious stones and gold cutouts inlaid into a blackened copper background. The blade is inscribed "The good god Nebphetyre, son of Re, Ahmose." Below is the inscription "beloved of Montu," the god of war, above images of the king smiting an enemy and a Minoan-style griffin. The gold cutouts represent an inlay technique familiar on ceremonial weapons from the Shaft Graves of Mycenae. In contrast, the reverse of the blade is executed in precious stone inlaid in a gold background—a technique more familiar in Egypt. Beneath the depiction of Heh, the lord of eternity, are the symbols of Upper and Lower Egypt. Below, an Egyptian-style sphinx offers a decapitated head, perhaps alluding to the function of the axe.
The lapis lazuli, gold, and silver objects of the Tôd Treasure are geographically and chronologically diverse. The silver vessels have been attributed to either Crete or Anatolia. The collection of seals and amulets includes a steatite piece engraved with bees and spiders familiar in Minoan art. Among the enormous quantity of lapis lazuli objects in the hoard were two stamp seals produced in eastern Iran and Bactria-Margiana, areas close to the source of this material. Other seals appear to have been made over a long span of time in areas along the lapis lazuli trade route: eastern Iran, Mesopotamia, and the Syro-Levantine region.
This gold dish was decorated in repoussé and with chased details. The hunting scene in the outer band shows an archer whose hairstyle and beard identify him as Near Eastern while the reins tied around his waist are rendered in Egyptian fashion. His bow is Mesopotamian in design and the light chariot is of a type invented in the Syro-Anatolian region during the second millennium B.C. The legs of the fleeing animals are extended in the flying gallop, a convention associated with the Aegean animal style that was widespread in the eastern Mediterranean during the Late Bronze Age.
These statues may represent the god worshipped in the Temple of the Obelisks—probably Reshef, as suggested by a hieroglyphic inscription found on one of the obelisks. The figures symbolize both fertility and protective power and were offered by worshippers as a plea for the godís intervention. While the short kilts, frontal representation, and high oval headdresses may reflect Egyptian inspiration, the overall schematic design and rigid postures suggest that the figures were locally made.
This masterful ivory carving depicts a Mistress of Animals offering palm fronds to two rampant goats in a mountainous setting defined by the hillock beneath her feet and the scale patterns on her garment and the partially preserved circular border. Found in a tomb at Minet el Beidha, the port of Ugarit, it adorned the circular lid of a cosmetic box. The voluptuous goddessís twisting posture, elaborate flounced skirt, and distinctive seat with concave sides recall Mycenaean ivory carvings. Ivories depicting similar divinities have been found at such sites as Mycenae and Kydonia. The theme of divinities controlling and nurturing wild animals derives from the Near East, and this remarkable work—melding eastern and western traditions—captures the artistic currents that reflect the internationalism of the Late Bronze Age.
The design and manufacture of this pendant reveal Egyptian influence. Atop the falcon's head sits a white cartouche and a scarab; inside, "Ip-shemu-abi, Prince of kpn [Byblos]" is written with gold wire in hieroglyphs. On both sides of the scarab, uraei (rearing cobras) wear the white and red crowns of Upper and Lower Egypt. Local manufacture is indicated by the placement of the sun disk on the chest, rather than the head, of the cobras, as would be the case in Egypt. The technique of gold inlaid with semiprecious stones is common in Egyptian jewelry.
This cult pedestal held an image or symbol of a deity. The carving depicts the Assyrian king Tukulti-Ninurta I holding the royal scepter and approaching a pedestal while extending his right forefinger toward the divine symbols placed on top. Through the double representation of the royal figure, the ritual of worship was performed continuously. The inscription identifies the god worshipped here as Nuska, god of light and dreams. It has been argued that the divine symbols perhaps signify the tablet on which the omen of destiny, conveyed in a dream, was inscribed by the stylus.
One of the most valuable objects on board the Uluburun ship, this youthful female figure was cast in bronze using the lost-wax method and embellished with gold overlay. A tenon at the feet would have affixed it to a base (now lost). The gold collar highlights her elite status, while her nudity and gestures suggest her divinity—her clenched fist is ready to hold a scepter and the left palm is open in an act of blessing. Perhaps she represents the Canaanite goddess Asherah, a protectress of sailors, kept on board to guard against the very fate that befell the ship, its crew, passengers, and rich cargo.