Locket with Assyrian winged protective figure
Following the excavation of Assyrian palaces in the mid-nineteenth century, ancient Mesopotamian imagery began to be used in European decorative arts, including jewelry and ceramics. Publicity in the form of news coverage and popular books around the excavations, removal of many sculptures from sites in northern Iraq to England and France, and public spectacles such as the reconstructed ‘Nineveh Court’ in the Crystal Palace at Sydenham, London, fostered a fascination with Assyria and Assyrian art among the Victorian public.
The design on the front of this gold locket is based on the protective figures found throughout the Northwest Palace of Ashurnasirpal II (r. ca. 883–859 BCE) at Nimrud (ancient Kalhu, biblical Calah) in northern Iraq. Inside are two miniature portraits, of an older man wearing a high collar and black tie, and a younger man in the uniform of a cadet at the Royal Military College (today Royal Military Academy) at Sandhurst.
The design on the front of this gold locket is based on the protective figures found throughout the Northwest Palace of Ashurnasirpal II (r. ca. 883–859 BCE) at Nimrud (ancient Kalhu, biblical Calah) in northern Iraq. Inside are two miniature portraits, of an older man wearing a high collar and black tie, and a younger man in the uniform of a cadet at the Royal Military College (today Royal Military Academy) at Sandhurst.
Artwork Details
- Title: Locket with Assyrian winged protective figure
- Period: Victorian
- Date: second half of 19th century
- Culture: British
- Medium: Gold, glass, paper
- Dimensions: H. 1 in. (2.5 cm)
- Credit Line: Henrietta and Christopher McCall Collection, Purchase, Bequest of Henrie Jo Barth, and Museum Acquisitions and Josephine Lois Berger-Nadler Endowment Funds, 2023
- Object Number: 2023.681
- Curatorial Department: Ancient West Asian Art
More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
ca. 4th century BCE
Scythian
ca. 5th century BCE
Assyrian
ca. 9th–8th century BCE
Achaemenid
ca. 6th–4th century BCE
Achaemenid
ca. 5th century BCE
Research Resources
The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.
To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.
Feedback
We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.