Mesopotamia : Burney Relief

 

Mesopotamia : Burney Relief

        In Mesopotamia couldn't found the art work of Venus but they had made some sculpture that has women shape on artwork. I choose the Burney Relief that has known as the Queen of the Night relief that is terra-cotta plaque is made of baked straw-tempered clay in Old Badylonian, around 1800-1750 BC in Mesopotamia period from southern Iraq. A likely representation of either Ereshkigal or Ishtar in body of artwork.

        Firstly, proportion of
this plaque has female is half man and half bird and nude in the middle and animals on background. She wears the accessories of women that have necklace, bracelets both of hands and  horned headdress characteristic of a Mesopotamian deity. She holds a rod and ring of justice, symbols of her divinity. Her long multi-coloured wings hang downwards, indicating that she is a goddess of the Underworld. In human body, she has more curve shape of women than prehistory. The plaque probably stood in a shrine. The figure had made from clay that measures 49.5 cm in height, 37 cm in width and 4.8 in thickness. 

        Secondary, balance of the relief sculpture has looked symmetry balance within standing on prey and she raises her hands up and holds wands or rod and ring of justice. So That showed they have believe in god and first time has impartiality within artwork.

        Thirdly, Similarity and Contrast of Venus this statue has pattern and rhythm on her wings. Her hands are similar that she hold the wands of god. Her legs end in the talons of a bird of prey, similar to those of the two owls that flank her. The background was originally painted black, suggesting that she was associated with the night. She stands on the backs of two lions, and a scale pattern indicates mountains. And on the ground has same pattern of wing in the texture of line but it's mirror together. But some part of artwork was damaged over time.

        Lastly, emphasis.The figure could be an aspect of the goddess Ishtar, Mesopotamian goddess of sexual love and war, or Ishtar's sister and rival, the goddess Ereshkigal who ruled over the Underworld, or the demoness Lilitu, known in the Bible as Lilith.So it means they have dominance in belief that they believe in power of god in nature and phenomenon, they respected  to the star and river simultaneously they believe something within reason and impartiality. Concisely in this period, there design show them began believe in power of god that feel like a fairy tales about between sexual love and war. They thought about half man and half animal be their goddess within tradition.So this period has more details and belief than prehistory.
                                               

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