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The work of art that I have chosen is from ancient Babylon, which is believed to have been located where Iran is located today. This Babylonian art is actually a panel from a wall that led from the inner city through the Gate of Ishtar to the House of the New Year's Festival (Bit Akitu). Here is where the people came to worship their gods, Adad and Marduk. The street was the most important in all of Babylon and was called the Processional Way. All along the wall that led to the House, were glazed figures of striding
This striding lion is not painted onto the wall; it is actually part of the wall. As stated previously, he is striding or walking. Their religion must have been an integral part of their lives for them to spend so much time, money and effort to create works of art that represented their gods. This is odd in itself, as the lion is definitely a male. It also indicates that the religion was not separate from the government, as King Nebuchadnezzar created this great empire of Babylon and all structures would have been authorized by him. In addition, this panel reflects the dedication that the Babylonians had to their religion. The mouth of the lion is open, perhaps he is growling. This means that the bricks were molded into the form of the lion. This figure is repeated along the wall as a guide for the processional from the Gate of Ishtar to the Bit Akitu. He has a full, flowing mane and a long tail. They definitely didn't have the technology that we have today, so it must have taken years to create these panels. This panel tells me that the people of this era were intelligent. The wall was made of molded glazed bricks of multiple colors. It is amazing what one piece of art from a civilization can tell you about who the people were and how they lived.
Common topics in this essay:
Adad Marduk,
Bit Akitu,
,
King Nebuchadnezzar,
bit akitu,
gate ishtar,
Gate Ishtar,
wall led,
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Acceptance Essays
