(2) (25) Lamassu from the Citadel of Sargon II. Neo-Assyrian. Alabaster. 720-705 BCE. Dur Sharrukin
(modern Khorsabad, Iraq). 10’-14’ tall. Mesopotamian (Assyrian).
Form, Content, Function, Context
Form:
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Citadel: fortress protecting a town
o Citadel of Sargon II was on a 50 foot platform, 25 acres big (= our school campus)
 Protects it from attack; thick exterior walls; keep safe from floods; association with the
divine
o Made of mud-brick; cheap, easy to repair, but needs repair often
Lamassu are subtractive (carved out of a single block of - in this case - alabaster)
They act as “posts” holding up the entryway
Parts are low relief and parts are high relief
Function:
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Expression of grandeur by Sargon II
Literally believe to protect front gate and palace entryways
o Ward off enemies, real and invisible (apotropaic)
Display Sargon’s power over nature (these great creatures work for Sargon and will defend him)
Huge palace complex with 30 courtyards, 200 rooms
o Much of the artwork showed narrative scenes of Sargon in warfare and the hunts
Content:
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Lamassu: human-headed hooved, winged guardian figures; hybrid figure
o Most powerful part of each animal
 Head of a man
 Body of a lion
 Feet of a bull
 Wings of an eagle
o Fearsome, powerful-looking
o Crowned, associated with divinity, horns grow around the crown
o Under his body and around legs are inscriptions in cuneiform which declare power of the king
and threaten anyone who ignores this
o 5 legs – when seen from the front, there are only two as if they are standing guard, and from the
side, there are four as it you are allowed to enter and the animal moves to “let you in”
Context:
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Kings use art to show their power and status
Ability to control nature and reorder space indicates Sargon II’s power  if he can control nature, he
deserves to control men
Carved at the height of Neo-Assyrian culture in 8th c. BCE
Learning Objective: Mesopotamian guardians
Themes: hybrid; protection; guardian; entryway; animals in art; architecture; man v. nature; power; rulers
Museum: Metropolitan Museum