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Reflections on the Four-Winged Genie: a Pottery Jar and an Ivory Panel from Nimrud

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Reflections on the Four-Winged Genie: a Pottery Jar and an Ivory Panel from Nimrud Iranica Antiqua, vol. XXXIII, 1998 REFLECTIONS ON THE FOUR-WINGED GENIE: A POTTERY JAR AND AN IVORY PANEL FROM NIMRUD BY Georgina HERRMANN and John CURTIS1 i) Introduction (GH and JEC) This article concerns a fragmentary pottery jar that was found at Nimrud in the 19th century and is decorated with stamped designs in the Phoeni- cian style. These show a four-winged genie holding a pair of snakes. Such designs are more commonly represented on ivory panels and there is in fact one from Nimrud that has a larger version of exactly the same com- position as on the jar. This paper is dedicated to David Stronach who has made significant contributions to the archaeology of Mesopotamia and Iran. His link with Nimrud goes back to 1957-60 when he participated in the British School of Archaeology excavations, and more recently (1987-90) he returned to Assyria to direct his own excavations at Nineveh. In between, of course, he worked with distinction in Iran, particularly at Pasargadae and Tepe Nush-i Jan. His interests have largely centred on the 1st millennium BC, and it is therefore hoped that he will find something of interest in the present note. ii) The Nimrud jar with stamped decoration (JEC) The jar is represented by eight rim sherds now in the British Museum, two pairs of which can be joined together (Figs. 1-5). The jar has a wide, ledge-shaped rim, width c. 3.4 cm., and has a maximum diameter of about 48.5 cm. It is preserved only to a maximum depth including the rim of 11.6 cm., so the form of the body of this vessel remains unknown. There is, however, evidence for at least one handle as shown in the drawing. Also, there were a series of lugs positioned just below the rim. The surface 1 Grateful thanks are due to Ann Searight who prepared with her usual skill the draw- ings which accompany this article. 108 G. HERRMANN & J. CURTIS Fig. 1a. Stamped potsherd BM 92252. Scale 3:5. Fig. 1b. Stamped potsherd BM 92250. Scale 3:5. REFLECTIONS ON THE FOUR-WINGED GENIE 109 of the vessel is cream-buff (Munsell 2.5Y 8/3 pale yellow) in colour, while in the core the fabric is light red (Munsell 5YR 7/4 pink). On the sur- face, as with much Late Assyrian pottery, there is extensive evidence for burnt-out vegetable inclusions. Around the neck of the vessel there are a series of stamped impressions — we have evidence for at least seven — showing a four-winged genie wearing an {atef-crown and grasping a uraeus in either hand (Figs. 3a-b, 5). This motif is obviously non-Assyr- ian and derives from the Levant, to the west of Assyria. These impres- sions are made from a stamp measuring about 5.3 cm. in height and 4.9 cm. in width and they are on thin sheets of clay which have been sep- arately applied to the surface of the jar. The detail on the stamped designs is quite fine, suggesting perhaps that the original design was carved on wood or ivory and a clay matrix was then made from that. The clay sheets with the impressions were apparently finer than the clay used to make the jar, which as we have noted has a lot of inclusions. The lack of temper has resulted in some shrinking and cracking of the applied panels during firing. Between the panels there is further stamped design in the form of friezes of lotus-and-bud motif and two rows of stamped circular rosettes with nine petals. Although the stamped designs are applied sepa- rately, and in at least one case (BM 92250) the lotus-and-bud frieze appar- ently continues to run underneath the applied stamp, there is no reason to think that the applied stamps were not part of the original decorative scheme. What do we know about the provenance of these sherds? In the first publication of them, R.D. Barnett stated categorically that they were “found by Rassam at Nimrud in the temple of Ishtar Kidmuru” (Barnett 1948: 14, n. 78). This may be true, but it is a deduction and not definitely the case. What are the facts of this matter? The sherds belong to a large consignment of material which arrived at the British Museum in the autumn of 1878. This collection comes from the excavations of Hormuzd Rassam in the early part of 1878, principally at Nimrud, Nineveh and Bal- awat. For most of this material there is no detailed information about provenance in the British Museum records, but fortunately the decorated sherds are an exception. A note in the acquisitions register records that “according to a written contemporary label nos. 92248-92252, together with 2 other pieces, were found at Nimrud”. Now, at the beginning of 1878 Rassam’s efforts were mainly directed towards clearing what has been subsequently been identified as the Kidmuru Temple, and Rassam gives a Fig. 2a. Stamped potsherd BM 92251. Scale 3:5. Fig. 2b. Stamped potsherd BM 92249. Fig. 2c. Stamped potsherd BM 122110. Scale 3:5. Scale 3:5. Fig. 2d. Stamped potsherd BM 92248. Scale 3:5. Fig. 3a. Stamped impression on BM 92252. Scale 3:2. Fig. 3b. Stamped impression on BM 92250. Scale 3:2. 112 G. HERRMANN & J. CURTIS graphic account of its excavation (Rassam 1897: 225-6)2. However, the Kidmuru Temple is only one of a number of shrines in this part of the acropolis mound3, and during his excavation it is likely that Rassam touched on some of the others. Also, it is clear from his account that at this time Rassam was also digging in the south-east corner of the acropolis mound, presumably in the area of the Nabu Temple and the South-East Palace, although he does not seem to have found much in these latter exca- vations (Rassam 1897: 226). In conclusion, then, it is possible, even prob- able, that Rassam found the decorated sherds in the Kidmuru Temple, but it is not certain. The Kidmuru Temple is one of a group of temples or shrines close to the north end of the North-West Palace. It was reconstructed by Ashur- nasirpal II who describes it in an inscription as “the temple of the goddess Ishtar, mistress of the divine Kidmuru” and a few lines further on the “temple of the divine Kidmuru” (Grayson 1991: 101.38, lines 19-24). Rassam’s discoveries in this temple included, apart from the stamped potsherds which were possibly found here, a stone altar (BM 118870) with a dedication by Ashurnasirpal to Enlil “who dwells in the temple of Kidmuru” (Grayson 1991: 101.98; Budge 1914: pl. VII/1) and a quantity of polychrome glazed wall-plaques (Curtis and Reade 1995: nos. 50-1; Albenda 1991: 46, pls. V-VI). The Kidmuru Temple and the others in the vicinity also built by Ashurnasirpal were probably destroyed in the years 614-612 B.C. The sherds are as follows: 1. RM 649. Ht. 5.8 cm., W. 6.2 cm. Top right-hand corner of stamped design, and lug. Joins no. 2 below. 2. BM 92252 (RM 652) (Figs. 1a, 3a). Ht. 11.6 cm., W. 12.9 cm. Stamped design with right hand edge missing, lug. Joins no. 1 above. 3. BM 92251 (RM 653) (Fig. 2a). Ht. 9.6 cm., W. 15.4 cm. Stamped design with bottom right-hand corner missing, lotus-and-bud design, one stamped rosette, lug. 2 See also Postgate and Reade 1976-80: 308-9. 3 See sketch plan in Postgate and Reade 1976-80: fig. 1. For a list of the temples founded or refounded by Ashurnasirpal II at Nimrud, see Grayson 1991: 101.30, lines 53- 58. REFLECTIONS ONTHEFOUR-WINGEDGENIE Fig. 4a. Reconstruction of Nimrud jar with stamped decoration. Drawing by Ann Searight. Fig. 4b. Suggested arrangement of stamped sherds from Nimrud. 113 Drawing by Ann Searight. 114 G. HERRMANN & J. CURTIS Fig. 5. Reconstruction of stamped decoration on Nimrud jar. Drawing by Ann Searight. 4. RM 650. Ht. 5.6 cm., W. 8.7 cm. Small part of lotus-and-bud decoration. 5. BM 92249 (RM 643) (Fig. 2b). Ht. 7.0 cm., W. 10.0 cm. Top left-hand corner of stamped design, lotus- and-bud decoration. Joins no. 6 below. 6. BM 92248 (RM 644) (Fig. 2d). Ht. 8.7 cm., W. 14.1 cm. Top left-hand side of stamped design, lug. Joins no. 5 above. 7. BM 92250 (RM 646) (Figs. 1b, 3b) (Barnett 1948: pl. VIIIg; 1969: pl. VIID). Ht. 9.1 cm., W. 18.6 cm. Stamped design with bottom part missing, lotus-and-bud decoration, four rosettes. 8. BM 122110 (RM 645) (Fig. 2c). Ht. 6.7 cm., W. 7.1 cm. Top right-hand corner of stamped design, lotus- and-bud decoration. Unfortunately, not enough of this handled jar or bowl survives for mean- ingful comparisons to be made with existing Late Assyrian pottery, but it does seem as if this form is unusual in the Late Assyrian repertoire. How- ever that may be, there are elements of the decoration that are certainly Late Assyrian in inspiration. First, there is the lotus-and-bud frieze that runs around the jar just below the rim. This decoration is often to be found on Assyrian sculpture (eg. Curtis and Reade 1995: no. 45). And then there are the stamped rosettes. They occur on a pottery jar found in Room T20 REFLECTIONS ON THE FOUR-WINGED GENIE 115 in Fort Shalmaneser at Nimrud during the British Museum excavations in 1989 (Curtis et al.
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