Images of Gilgamesh
Ancient History
Fall 2008
Where do the images come from?
• Statues, statuettes, terracotta relief
sculptures, cylinder seal impressions,
limestone tablets, clay plaques,
engravings, pottery . . .
Gilgamesh
Enkidu
Humbaba (aka Huwawa)
Ishtar (aka Inanna)
Bull of Heaven
Scorpion People
Shamash
Other images from Mesopotamia
Sources
• The Epic of Gilgamesh. Translated by Andrew George
(NY: Penguin, 1999).
• Cuneiform tablet. Line drawing by Andrew George of
tablet A 122+123 (seventh century BC), Archaeological
Museum, Istanbul. The Epic of Gilgamesh. Translated by
Andrew George (NY: Penguin, 1999). p. xxix.
• Shamash the Sun God. Line drawing by Joanna
Richards of a limestone tablet from the ninth century BC.
The Epic of Gilgamesh. Translated by Andrew George
(NY: Penguin, 1999), p. 26.
• Enkidu profile. Line drawing by Joanna Richards from
clay plaque (early second millennium BC), Musée du
Louvre. The Epic of Gilgamesh. Translated by Andrew
George (NY: Penguin, 1999), p. 103.
Sources, cont.
• Bull of Heaven (1). Line drawing by Joanna Richards
from Babylonian cylinder seal impression (early first
millennium BC), British Museum. The Epic of Gilgamesh.
Translated by Andrew George (NY: Penguin, 1999), p.
53.
• Bull of Heaven (2). Line drawing by Joanna Richards
from Babylonian clay plaque (early second millennium
BC), Vorderasiatisches Museum, Berlin. The Epic of
Gilgamesh. Translated by Andrew George (NY: Penguin,
1999). p. 175.
• Scorpion men. Line drawing by Joanna Richards from
Assyrian cylinder seal impression (early first millennium
BC). The Epic of Gilgamesh. Translated by Andrew
George (NY: Penguin, 1999), p. 72.
Sources, cont.
• Ishtar. Line drawing by Joanna Richards from Assyrian
cylinder seal impression (early first millennium BC),
British Museum. The Epic of Gilgamesh. Translated by
Andrew George (NY: Penguin, 1999), p. 60.
• Humbaba/Huwawa (with right fist raised). Line drawing
by Joanna Richards from Babylonian clay plaque (early
second millennium BC), Musée du Louvre. The Epic of
Gilgamesh. Translated by Andrew George (NY: Penguin,
1999), p. 110.
• Gilgamesh and Enkidu slay Humbaba. Line drawing by
Joanna Richards (after E. Strommenger-Nagel) from
Babylonian engraving on a bronze situla* (early first
millennium BC). The Epic of Gilgamesh. Translated by
Andrew George (NY: Penguin, 1999), p. 45. *"Situla is
from Latin ‘bucket’; referring to an ancient decorated
metal or pottery vessel shaped like a deep bucket, urn,
or vase." http://www.winshop.com.au/annew/Situla.html
Sources, cont.
• Humbaba (head shot). Photo of clay head of Huwawa (c.
18th-17th century BC), British Museum. The Babylonians
by H.W.F. Saggs (London: Folio Society, 1999), between
pp. 156 and 157.
• Epics of Early Civilization: Myths of the Ancient Near
East by Michael Kerrigan and Alan Lothian. Myth and
Mankind series. London: Duncan Baird, 1998.
• Inana (with wings, lions, owls). Terracotta relief sculpture
(c. 2000-1700 BC). Epics of Early Civilization: Myths of
the Ancient Near East by Michael Kerrigan and Alan
Lothian. Myth and Mankind series. London: Duncan
Baird, 1998, p. 20.
Sources, cont.
• Gilgamesh (raising lion above his head). Assyrian
cylinder seal impression (c. 1350-1000 BC). Epics of
Early Civilization: Myths of the Ancient Near East by
Michael Kerrigan and Alan Lothian. Myth and Mankind
series. London: Duncan Baird, 1998, p. 75.
• Huwawa. Terracotta image c. 2000 BC. Epics of Early
Civilization: Myths of the Ancient Near East by Michael
Kerrigan and Alan Lothian. Myth and Mankind series.
London: Duncan Baird, 1998, p. 80.
• Goddess of love. Third century BC statuette. Epics of
Early Civilization: Myths of the Ancient Near East by
Michael Kerrigan and Alan Lothian. Myth and Mankind
series. London: Duncan Baird, 1998, p. 85.
Sources, cont.
• Art of the First Cities. Edited by Joan Aruz with Ronald
Wallenfels. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.
New Haven: Yale University Press, 2003.
• Scorpion man detail from inlaid panel from front of a lyre,
c. 2550-2400 BC. Royal Tombs of Ur excavation.
University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and
Anthropology. Photo in Art of the First Cities. Edited by
Joan Aruz with Ronald Wallenfels. The Metropolitan
Museum of Art, New York. New Haven: Yale University
Press, 2003, p. 107.
• Bull's head on front of "Great Lyre," c. 2550-2400 BC.
Royal Tombs of Ur excavation. University of
Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology.
Photo in Art of the First Cities. Edited by Joan Aruz with
Ronald Wallenfels. The Metropolitan Museum of Art,
New York. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2003, p.
106.