Transcript art of the fertile crescent

ART OF THE FERTILE
CRESCENT
Mesopotamia
9000 – 3000 BC
Dawn of Civilization
• From nomadic
hunting
• To permanent
dwellings
Jericho Skulls
• Oldest city, Jericho
• Ancestor worship-skulls of
ancestors found under homes
• Armature- skull used as
framework to support flexible
material
• Plaster applied to build up facial
features
Fertile Crescent
• River valley of Tigris
& Euphrates Rivers
Mesopotamia
center of ancient near eastern
civilizations
modern Iraq
Religious beliefs
• Polytheistic- belief in many gods;
represented as human in form & character
but superhuman in power and immortal
Seven Civilizations/Periods
•
•
•
•
Sumerian Civilization • Assyrian Civilization
Akkadian Period
• Neo-Babylonian
Empire
Neo-Sumerian Period
• Achaemenid Period
Babylonian
Civilization
Sumerian Civilization
• Government- city states: powerful
independent cities that rule their territories
• Inventions: wheel, potters wheel, levee
systems, writing, plow, 12 month calendar
• Writing: cuneiform: abstract wedgeshaped characters
Sumerian architecture
Ziggurat
• Imitation mountain;
temple towers
• 1st major building
structure
• Purpose- bridge gap
between human &
divine
White Temple
• Located atop ziggurat
• Housed city state’s
patron or goddess
• Oriented toward 4
cardinal points
Sumerian Art
• Register- series of rows or bands
Iconography
• Analysis of art through the
study of the meanings of
symbols and images in the
context of the contemporary
culture
Conventions
• A custom, practice, or
principle that is generally
recognized and accepted.
Alabaster Vase
goddess Inanna
registers
• Top- goddess
receives figure with
fruit basket
• Next (2nd)- nude men
bearing offerings
• Next (3rd)- alternating
rams/ewes
• Bottom- alternating
barley stalks/date
palms
• Iconography of this piece- agricultural
festivals of renewal and rebirth
• Conventions of this piece- occupy flat
space; profile legs/heads; eyes frontal;
walk of thin ledge or floating
Cult Figures
• Hierarchical proportionsconvention equating size with
status
• Stylization- distortion
of a represented
image to conform to a
convention
• Cylindrical figure
• Large eyes
• Uni-brow
• Horizontal ridges of
male hair/beard
Lyre Soundbox
• Iconographystrength, power
• Conventioncombination of
species
Akkadian Period
• Sargon I established world’s first empire
• Stele- upright stone marker
Stele of Naram-Sin
• Power Art
• Military authoritydefeated enemies at
his feet
• Political authorityright side most visible;
largest figure
• Religious authoritygod;horned cap of
divinity
Neo Sumerian Period
Stele of Ur-Nammu
• Commemorative art
(record of important
event)
• Commemorates
building of Ur ziggurat
Babylonian Civilization
Hammurabi Stele
• Historical art
• Law Code
Assyrian Civilization
• Sargon II Palace
located within a
• Citadel- urban
fortress
• Cyclopaean wallsmonumental fortified
walls
• Lamassus- divine
genii
Lamassus
Neo-Babylonian Empire
• Marduk ziggurat
• Ishtar Gate
Achaemenid
• Persians- Cyrus the
Great founder
• King Darius built
Persepolis
The Gate of All Nations
Audience Hall of Darius
Bull Capitals
331 BC
• Alexander the Great unites Mesopotamia
with the Greek culture