Votive statue of gudea
Statues of Gudea
27 statues found in southern Mesopotamia
Not to be confused with Gudea cylinders.
Approximately twenty-seven statues of Gudea have been found in southern Mesopotamia. Gudea was a ruler (ensi) of the state of Lagash between c.&#; BC and BC, and the statues demonstrate a very sophisticated level of craftsmanship for that time.
The known statues have been named by archaeologists as "A" to "Z" and "AA". Many statues are headless, and there are also detached heads. Gudea is named in the dedicatory inscription carved on most statues, but in some cases the identity of the ruler portrayed is uncertain.
Provenance
Statues A–K were found during Ernest de Sarzec's excavations in the court of the Hellenistic-era palace of Adad-nadin-ahhe (see Adadnadinakhe bricks) in Telloh (ancient Girsu).
Gudea of lagash sculpture meaning in italy He was also a patron of the arts. This statuette is well-balanced and exquisitely modelled, with precise anatomical details. The connection between Ningiszida and Gestinanna was probably invented by Archaeologists in order to effect a closer connection to Lagash. The city-state of Lagash produced a remarkable number of statues of its kings as well as Sumerian literary hymns and prayers under the rule of Gudea ca.Statues M–Q come from clandestine excavations in Telloh in ; the rest come from the art trade, with unknown provenances and sometimes of doubtful authenticity. Figures L and R do not represent Gudea with reasonable certainty.
Description and purpose
The statues were to represent the ruler in temples, to offer a constant prayer in his stead; offerings were made to these.
Most of the statues bear an inscribed dedication explaining to which god it was dedicated. Gudea is either sitting or standing; in one case (N), he holds a water-jug au vase jaillissant.
Gudea of lagash sculpture meaning References [ edit ]. Additional Views. Includes more than 7, works ranging in date from the eighth millennium B. Gudea was a ruler ensi of the state of Lagash between c.He normally wears a close fitting kaunakes, maybe made of sheep-skin, and a long tasseled dress. Only in one example (M, Soclet-statue) he wears a different dress, reminiscent of the Akkadian royal costume (torso of Manishtushu). On the lap of one of them (statue B) is the plan of his palace, with the scale of measurement attached.
Statue F is similar to statue B; both are missing their heads, and have on their lap a board with a measuring scale and a stylus, only statue F does not have a ground plan.
Gudea of lagash sculpture meaning in english Unlike the local stone, diorite is extremely hard, and so difficult to carve. The Met's Libraries and Research Centers provide unparalleled resources for research and welcome an international community of students and scholars. Unlike the art of the Akkadian period, which was characterized by dynamic naturalism, the works produced by this Neo-Sumerian culture are pervaded by a sense of pious reserve and serenity. Los Angeles: The J.Size and material
It seems that the early statues are small and made of more local stones (limestone, steatite and redstone); later, when wide-ranging trade-connections had been established, the more costly exotic diorite was used. Unlike the local stone, diorite is extremely hard, and so difficult to carve. Diorite had already been used by old Sumerian rulers (Statue of Entemena).
According to the inscriptions, the diorite (Sumerian: na4esi, 'diorite or gabbro') came from Magan. The remnants of a very large diorite statue in the British Museum may be a representation of Gudea, but this cannot be determined with certainty. What remains of the statue is &#;m (4&#;ft 11&#;in) high (and weighs over 1,&#;kg (2,&#;lb)), meaning that if it were fully reconstructed the statue would be well over 3&#;m (&#;ft) high and the largest yet discovered sculpture of the ruler.[1]
Dedicatory inscription
The dedication of the diorite statues normally tell how ensi Gudea had diorite brought from the mountains of Magan, formed it as a statue of himself, called by name to honour god/goddess (x) and had the statue brought into the temple of (y).
Most of the big (almost lifesize, D is even bigger than life) statues are dedicated to the top gods of Lagash: Ningirsu, his wife Ba'u, the goddesses Gatumdu and Inanna and Ninhursanga as the "Mother of the gods". Q is dedicated to Ningiszida, Gudea's personal protective deity more properly connected to rand Abu Salabikh, the smaller M, N and O to his "wife" Gestinanna.
The connection between Ningiszida and Gestinanna was probably invented by Archaeologists in order to effect a closer connection to Lagash.
Table of statues
| Number | Image | Material | Size | Posture | Provenance | Dedicated to | Today at | Museum catalogue number |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | diorite | m | standing | excavations E. de Sarzec, Telloh | Ninhursanga/Nintu | Louvre | AO 8 | |
| B | diorite | m | sitting | excavations E.
de Sarzec, Telloh | Ningirsu | Louvre | AO 2 | |
| C | diorite | m | standing | excavations E. de Sarzec, Telloh | Inanna | Louvre | AO 5 | |
| D | diorite | m | sitting | excavations E.
de Sarzec, Telloh | Ningirsu | Louvre | AO 1 | |
| E | diorite | m | standing | excavations E. de Sarzec, Telloh | Ba'u | Louvre | AO 6 | |
| F | diorite | m | sitting | excavations E.
de Sarzec, Telloh | Gatumdu | Louvre | AO 3 | |
| G | diorite | m | standing | excavations E. de Sarzec, Telloh | Ningirsu | Louvre | AO 7 | |
| H | diorite | m | sitting | excavations E.
de Sarzec, Telloh | Ba'u | Louvre | AO 4 | |
| I | diorite | m | sitting | excavations E. de Sarzec, Telloh | Ningishzida | Louvre | AO + AO | |
| J | diorite | -- | -- | excavations E.
de Sarzec, Telloh | -- | -- | -- | |
| K | diorite | m | standing | excavations E. de Sarzec, Telloh | Ningirsu | Louvre | AO 10 | |
| L | diorite | -- | -- | -- | -- | (Kudurru) | -- | |
| M | alabaster or paragonite | m | standing | clandestine excavations, Telloh | Geshtinanna | Detroit Institute of Arts | -- | |
| N | dolerite, calcite or steatite | m | standing | clandestine excavations, Telloh | Geshtinanna | Louvre | AO | |
| O | steatite | m | standing | clandestine excavations, Telloh | Geshtinanna | Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek, Copenhagen | NCG | |
| P | diorite | m | sitting | clandestine excavations, Telloh | Ningishzida | New York, Metropolitan Museum of Art | ||
| Q | diorite | m | sitting | clandestine excavations, Telloh | Ningishzida | body in Baghdad, head in Philadelphia | body: , head: CBS | |
| R | diorite | m | sitting | art trade | Namhani | Harvard Semitic Museum | HSM | |
| S | limestone | -- | standing | -- | -- | Louvre | -- | |
| T | -- | m | -- | -- | -- | Golenishev collection | -- | |
| U | dolerite | m | sitting | Seleucia ad Tigrim near Seleucia | Ninhursanga/Nintu | British Museum[2] | ||
| V | diorite | m | standing | art trade | -- | British Museum[3] | ||
| W | Limestone | m | standing | art trade | -- | -- | -- | |
| X | Limestone | -- | standing | -- | Ancient Orient Museum, Istanbul | -- | ||
| Y | limestone | -- | -- | -- | Ningirsu | -- | -- | |
| Z | diorite | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | |
| AA | limestone | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
Further reading
- Dietz Otto Edzard, "Gudea and His Dynasty" Royal Inscriptions of Mesopotamia Early Periods - RIME 3/1 (Toronto University Press ).
- F.
Johansen, "Statues of Gudea, ancient and modern". Mesopotamia 6,
- A. Parrot, Tello, vingt campagnes des fouilles ().Lyre of queen puabi Metropolitan Museum of Art. Davidson, Marshall B. Muscarella, Oscar White. Wikimedia Commons Wikiquote Wikidata item.
(Paris ).
- H. Steible, "Versuch einer Chronologie der Statuen des Gudea von Lagas". Mitteilungen der Deutschen Orient-Gesellschaft (),