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Relief:
Sacred Tree Attended by Winged Beings; Neo-Assyrian
period, reign of Ashurnasirpal II (r. 883–859 B.C.)
Mesopotamia; excavated at Nimrud (ancient Kalhu)
Alabaster (gypsum)
Gift of John D. Rockefeller Jr., 1932 (32.143.3)
The plant represented on both registers of this relief
is the so-called sacred tree. Its trunk rests on a flat base and is
topped by a palmette, and it is encircled by smaller palmettes connected
to the trunk by a network of branches.
In the upper register, the sacred tree is attended by human-headed
genies. In the lower register, bird-headed
genies holding buckets and cones
fertilize the tree in a manner similar to the manual fertilization
required for date palm trees to bear fruit.
The sacred tree was an extremely important symbol in the palace of
Ashurnasirpal, appearing on reliefs in virtually every room of the
palace. It was also used in textile patterns, on stamp and cylinder
seals, and in ivory carvings. It represented both the king and Ashur,
the chief god of Assyria, and was also a symbol of the fertility of
the land.
Enlarge image.
Learn more about the Standard Inscription.
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