Phoenix Ancient Art S.A.

This head, preserved down to the neck, belonged to a figure whose size was certainly above average (the complete figure was probably 60 cm high). The surface of the stone, delicately crafted, is smooth and in remarkable condition.

The face was polychromatic: the eyes (in shell, while the iris was probably inlaid with lapis lazuli) and the eyebrows (in lapis lazuli or bitumen) were made from other materials and inlaid, as proven by the visible traces of bitumen in the left eye (this material was regularly used as an adhesive and/or an insulator).

The head has a smooth, elongated shape and rests on a short, powerful neck; the bald skull is rounded and even; on the back of the head, between the ears, two modeled grooves probably indicate wrinkles of skin. The sculptor represented a smooth youthful face without any individualized features or wrinkles: it is a grown man, but of indefinite age. His expression, almost “smiling”, is a typical feature of Mesopotamian figures: in reality, it probably was not a smile, but rather a demonstration of inner spirit and joy. In spite of this idealization, one should mention the great formal diversity that characterizes Mesopotamian “worshipper” statues: each figure is unique and can be differentiated without becoming a real physical portrait.

The forms consist of large uniform surfaces, finely modeled, without any incisions or engravings: the bone structure and the muscles are rendered by large, smooth, finely nuanced planes; the skin is firm and without wrinkles. The deep-set eyes are almond-shaped, the eyebrows are thick and even, the mouth is horizontal and curvy, the corners of the lips are turned slightly upwards. From a stylistic point of view, the statues found at Mari are this alabaster piece’s best parallels.

This head certainly completed a male statue of a well-known Mesopotamian iconographic type: the “worshipper” (orant/e in French, Beter in German), one of the oldest archetypes of Near Eastern sculpture. These figures, men or women, are represented standing or, more rarely, seated; they are dressed in the kaunakes - traditional Mesopotamian garment of sheep’s skin or wool. The position of the arms and the hands is very characteristic: the arms are folded and positioned in front of the chest, the hands are clasped (often the right over the left) and the thumbs are crossed. Their eyes are often wide open and of a disproportionate size, which is probably an iconographic convention to express the close relationship between the faithful and the divine.

According to religious Mesopotamian texts, the faithful must fulfill duties to guarantee the favor of the gods and to prove their submission: offerings of various kinds and dedications of statues in sanctuaries are among the fundamental aspects of these practices. The representations of the faithful, which vary depending on the fortune and social position of the “dedicator” (terracotta figurines play the same role as stone statues) , they were meant to assure the presence of the faithful beside the divinity at the sacred sites and to continue his prayers in his absence.