Mesopotamian Art (3500 BCE- 539 BCE)

Where were the artworks made or found? Found in the Ancient Mesopotamia Modern Day Syria Saudi Arabia Iraq Lebanon

Why was art created? Used pottery as currency Symbolize Royalty Used for religious purposes Simply for visual pleasure and purposes Tell a story

Sumer Female head (Inanna?), from Uruk, c. 3500-3000 BCE Iraq Museum, Baghdad

Sumer Materials Marble Artistic Qualities Used space in order to create the eyes and eyebrow, used space for the eyes and to give the art the visual of a 3D object and used balance to create proportions of the face Why was it made? Most likely made in order to praise the goddess inanna

Sumer Soundbox of the lyre of Puabi, University Museum, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia Why? Used to decorate a musical instrument that will be used in a burial site for a king

Sumer Materials Wood, inlaid gold, lapis lazuli and shell Artistic Qualities Texture used to give the appearance on how the animal fur would feel like, Negative and positive space to show what objects are telling the truth and contrast to show the objects versus the background. Use of different materials for color

Sumer The Standard of Ur, c. 2700 BCE, British Museum, London. Why? Some art forms were used to tell stories as well as be decoration much like this one that tells a story of War and Peace.

Sumer Materials Wood, shell, lapis lazuli, and red limestone Artistic Qualities Use of different materials such s Lapis Lazuli gives a use of color, space is used because the lapis lazuli acts as the background, lines are used to create the depictions and to separate the frames to give organization.

Akkad Head of an Akkadian Ruler, from NIneveh, c. 2200 BCE Why? To show who was in royalty at the time and it was a pledge of allegiance

Akkad Materials Bronze Artistic Qualities The repeated pattern on his beard give a smooth yet bumpy texture, the space for his eyes gives the depiction of holes where eyes should be.

Neo Sumerian Art Seated Statue of Gudea, from Telloh, c. 2100 BCE, Metropolitan Museum of Art. Why? Someone of a lower class recognizing the new leader of Sumer therefore depicting them in a powerful stance.

Neo Sumerian Materials Diorite Artistic Qualities The work is a sculpture therefore it contains mass and volume for the 3D characteristic, there is space underneath the attire which casts a shadow over Gudea’s feet and tecture is used for his hat with vetical lines showing stability.