Plaque with animal legs

This fragmentary plaque was carved from a slab of slate, into which were inlaid pieces of carved shell cemented with bitumen, a tar-like substance. The two shell inlays that remain are the rear legs of an animal, with incised details emphasizing the joints. Above the legs is a cavity into which a larger piece of shell inlay was set, probably representing the animal’s body. The cavity is roughened to enable the adhesive to bond to its surface. When complete, the plaque would have probably also incorporated other pieces of shell and stone in contrasting colors, a characteristic technique of the late Early Dynastic period exemplified by the well-known Standard of Ur, now in the British Museum.

Nippur, the great holy city of southern Mesopotamia, was the home of the chief deity Enlil and housed temples to Enlil and many other gods. Excavations in the temple of the goddess Inanna have revealed that the sanctuary was first built in the Early Dynastic I period and continually rebuilt on the same site until the Parthian period, some three thousand years later. Hundreds of objects were discovered in the temple: statues, stone bowls and plaques, inlays, furniture attachments, and other fragmentary items, found either in hoards or scattered throughout the building.