Male figure
Not on view
This kneeling male figure would have originally been part of a larger openwork composition. Openwork bronzes are known from the early second millennium B.C. in a variety of forms, but their function in antiquity is not fully understood. Slots and circular openings in the plaques suggest their use with cords, straps, or fabric. The kneeling male seen here – in a belted skirt and clean-shaven – appears on many of the plaques and would have been one of a pair, symmetrically arranged. Clean-shaven individuals in Mesopotamian art are often associated with the temple, where their lack of hair may have been a marker of purity and cleanliness.
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