View allAll Photos Tagged lamassu
Winged human-headed bull
Assyrian, about 865 - 860 BC
From Nimrud
This protective spirit guarded the entrance into what may have been the king's private apartments. The pair to it is in the Metropolitan Museum, New York.
Lamassus, a human-headed lion (right) and a human-headed bull (left), from the North-West Palace of Ashurnasirpal II at Nimrud, in modern-day Nineveh Governorate, Iraq. 9th century BC.
British Museum
London (England/ United Kingdom).
An angel is a supernatural spiritual being who is God's servant, according to various religions.
Abrahamic religions often depict angels as benevolent celestial intermediaries between God (or Heaven) and humanity. Other roles include protectors and guides for humans, and servants of God. Abrahamic religions describe angelic hierarchies, which vary by sect and religion. Some angels have specific names (such as Gabriel or Michael) or titles (such as seraph or archangel). Those expelled from Heaven are called fallen angels, distinct from the heavenly host.
Angels in art are usually shaped like humans of extraordinary beauty. They are often identified in Christian artwork with bird wings, halos, and divine light.
Etymology for exegetes :
Borrowed from Ge'ez መልአክ (mälʾäk, “messenger; angel”), the plural of which is መላእክት (mälaʾəkt), itself a calque of Aramaic מַלְאֲכָא / ܡܠܐܟܐ (malʾăḵā, “angel, messenger”) and Hebrew מַלְאָךְ (malʾā́ḵ, “angel, messenger”), closer in Tigrinya መልኣኽ (mälʾax), Amharic መልኣክ (mälʾak), መላክ (mälak) of which the plural is መላእክት (mälaʾəkt). Compare the root ل ء ك (l-ʾ-k) and لَأَكَ (laʾaka), أَلْأَكَ (ʾalʾaka, “to send as a messenger”), which was regularly used as the normal word for “to send” in Ge'ez ለአከ (läʾäkä) as well as in Ugaritic (lỉk), (lảk) for which the normal Arabic word is أَرْسَلَ (ʾarsala) upon which one has formed رَسُول (rasūl, “messenger; apostle; angel”), with the same pattern native Ge'ez ልኡክ (ləʾuk, “messenger; apostle; cantor”).
Cherub (plural cherubs or cherubim or cherubims, follows the Hebrew grammar rule of creating plurals by adding the suffix -im.) (biblical) A winged creature attending God, described by Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite (c. 5th–6th century) as the second highest order of angels, ranked above thrones and below seraphim; similar to a lamassu in the pre-exilic texts of the Hebrew Bible, more humanoid in later texts.
An artistic depiction of such a being, typically in the form of a winged child or a child's head with wings but no body. Synonyms: amoretto, cupid, putto
(figuratively) A person, especially a child, seen as being particularly angelic or innocent. Synonyms: angel, innocent
Seraph (plural seraphs or seraphim or seraphims)
(biblical) A six-winged angel; the highest choir or order of angels in Christian angelology, ranked above cherubim, and below God. They are the 5th highest order of angels in Jewish angelology. A detailed description can be found at the beginning of Isaiah chapter 6.
Aramaic is a Semitic language that originated among the Arameans in the ancient region of Syria. Over three thousand years, Aramaic served as a language of public life and administration of ancient kingdoms and empires and also as a language of divine worship and religious study. It subsequently branched into several Neo-Aramaic languages that are still spoken in modern times.
The Aramaic language belongs to the Northwest group of the Semitic language family, which also includes the Canaanite languages, such as Hebrew, Edomite, Moabite, and Phoenician, as well as Amorite and Ugaritic. Aramaic languages are written in the Aramaic alphabet, a descendant of the Phoenician alphabet, and the most prominent alphabet variant is the Syriac alphabet. The Aramaic alphabet also became a base for the creation and adaptation of specific writing systems in some other Semitic languages, such as the Hebrew alphabet and the Arabic alphabet.
The Aramaic languages are now considered endangered, since several dialects are used mainly by the older generations. However, researchers are working to record and analyze all of the remaining dialects of Neo-Aramaic languages before they are extinguished as spoken languages. Early Aramaic inscriptions date from 10th century BC, placing it among the earliest languages to be written down. Source Wikipedia.
Angels in classical music
Víkingur Ólafsson Bach Concerto in D Minor, BWV 974 Adagio
www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2gVYB5oZ7o
Yiruma - River Flows in You - Mozart "Music of Angels"
www.youtube.com/watch?v=7maJOI3QMu0
Happy Holidays to you and family!
TD : 1/200 f/5.6 ISO 3200 @200mm Pentax-M lens on hybrid Alpha 6000 - ICM blur.
Lamassu. This winged bull and protective deity guarded the entrance to Nergal Gate of Nineveh (near modern day Mosul) from c700 BC until it was destroyed by Daesh in 2015.
This year’s artwork is 'The Invisible Enemy Should Not Exist' by Michael Rakowitz.
Wish you all a SUNNY SERENE weekend.
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Persepolis (Old Persian: Pārśa,[2] New Persian: Takht-e Jamshid or Pārseh), literally meaning "city of Persians",[3] was the ceremonial capital of the Achaemenid Empire (ca. 550–330 BC). The earliest remains of Persepolis date from around 515 BC.
It exemplifies the Achaemenid style of architecture. UNESCO declared the citadel of Persepolis a World Heritage Site in 1979.[4]
The complex consists of a remarkable merging of different architectural styles from across the ancient Near East, as well as native Persian and Elamite traditions. Mesopotamian, Egyptian and Hittite influences are to be found throughout the complex.[16]
The Gate of all Nations, referring to subjects of the empire, consisted of a grand hall that was a square of approximately 25 metres (82 ft) in length, with four columns and its entrance on the Western Wall.
A pair of Lamassus, bulls with the heads of bearded men, stand by the western threshold. Another pair, with wings and a Persian head (Gopät-Shäh), stands by the eastern entrance, to reflect the Empire’s power.
... du palais de Khorsabad construit pour le roi Sargon II..
Venus admiring, the Lamassus, guardians of the Palace of Korsabad built for the Assyrian King Sargon II..
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British Museum, London
Lamassu is an Assyrian protective deity, often depicted as having a human's head, a body of a bull or a lion, and bird's wings. In some writings, it is portrayed to represent a female deity.
A Lamassus is an Assyrian protective deity, often depicted as having a human's head, a body of a bull or a lion, and bird's wings. This is a replica, viewed from behind, in the Museum of Antiquities in Leiden, Netherlands.
What a privilege for us to have this amazing art installation by Michael Rakowitz in our town.
This year our town is hosting the Turner Prize at the Towner and we have been loaned this sculpture courtesy of the Mayor of London and Tate.
The invisible enemy should not exist (Lamassu of Nineveh) is an ongoing project that artist Michael Rakowitz started in 2006 that attempts to reappear over 7,000 archaeological artefacts looted from the Iraq Museum during the Iraq War or destroyed in its aftermath.
For the Fourth Plinth Programme in London's Trafalgar Square, Rakowitz installed the Assyrian Lamassu, a winged bull and protective deity that stood at the entrance to Nergal Gate of Nineveh from c.700 BC until it was destroyed by ISIS in 2015 CE.
The reverse features a carved cuneiform inscription that was invisible to viewers because it was cemented to the wall of the Nergal Gate. Here, in its removed and displaced state, the cuneiform is exposed and translates as: “Sennacherib, king of the world, king of Assyria, had the (inner) and outer wall of Nineveh built anew and raised as high as mountain(s)”.
The Lamassu is made of empty Iraqi date syrup cans, representative of a once-renowned industry decimated by the Iraq Wars.
For more information www.michaelrakowitz.com/the-invisible-enemy-should-not-ex...
I Lamassu dal palazzo di Khorsabad sono dei reperti assiri in alabastro e gesso (h. circa 440 cm) databili al 721-705 a.C. circa e conservati nel Museo del Louvre, a Parigi.
Costruiti a Dur-Sharrukin (oggi Khorsabad) a est del fiume Tigri per il re assiro Sargon II, risalgono al periodo del suo regno tra il 721 e il 705 a.C.
Gli archeologi francesi furono tra i primi a riscoprire la civiltà assira, con gli scavi del 1843-1844 di Paul-Émile Botta, e già nel 1847 a Parigi fu aperta la prima istituzione europea dedicata a questa cività orientale. Tra il 1852 e il 1854 Victor Place scavò la residenza di Sargon II, portando numerosi reperti in patria, assieme ai rilievi di Flandin e alle foto in calotipo di Georges Transhand.
Non tutti i Lamassu vennero trasportati a Parigi: alcuni naufragarono nell'Eufrate e altri furono lasciati in loco su minaccia dei Beduini. Oggi la "corte di Khorsabad" al Louvre ricostruisce un ambiente del palazzo con originali e copie in gesso.
I lamassu venivano posti davanti ai palazzi per "difenderli". Sono esseri benevoli che hanno intelligenza umana e forza animale.
I Lamassu sono divinità alate dal corpo taurino e dalla testa umana, le cui dimensioni monumentali ne fanno tra i reperti più impressionanti delle civiltà orientali. Essi erano situati alle porte delle città e nei principali passaggi del palazzo, con funzione intimidatoria verso gli estranei e protettiva verso gli abitanti. Tra le zampe e il dorso sono spesso presenti iscrizioni.
I Lamassu lavorati a rilievo, come quelli del Louvre, presentano una singolare disposizione delle gambe: visti frontalmente mostrano gli zoccoli allineati, in posizione d'arresto, mentre di lato simulano il movimento con una zampa arretrata, per cui in tutto vengono raffigurati cinque arti. Quelli destinati a uno stipite guardano in avanti, mentre altri, destinati a una parete, ruotano la testa di lato, verso l'ideale spettatore.
In Egyptian mythology, Sekhmet is a warrior goddess as well as goddess of medicine.
Sekhmet is also a solar deity, sometimes given the epithet "the eye of Ra". She is often associated with the goddesses Hathor and Bastet.
Lama, Lamma, or Lamassu is a Mesopotamian protective deity.
Initially depicted as a goddess in Sumerian times, when it was called Lamma, it was later depicted from Assyrian times as a hybrid of a human, bird, and either a bull or lion—specifically having a human head, the body of a bull or a lion, and bird wings, under the name Lamassu. In some writings, it is portrayed to represent a goddess. A less frequently used name is shedu, which refers to the male counterpart of a lamassu. Lamassu represent the zodiacs, parent-stars or constellations.
Persepoli: la "Porta di tutte le Nazioni" (480 a.C.) era riferita ai sudditi delle diverse nazioni che costituivano l'Impero, era una grande sala di forma quadrata di circa 25 metri di lato, due lamassu si trovavano sulla porta d'ingresso occidentale. I lamassu erano spiriti benefici e protettivi, guardiani delle porte con funzione apotropaica, per questo venivano posti all'ingresso dei palazzi. Di questa figura mitica esistono varie rappresentazioni, per lo più era raffigurato come un mostro alato dal corpo di toro o leone e testa umana.
Persepolis, Fars Province, Iran
Achaemenid Empire (550–330 BC)
Tripylon Palace (Triple Gate - Central Palace, Council Hall)
Part of the Staircase of the Central Palace on the Persepolis. (ca. 480 BCE–ca. 470 BCE)
© Vafa Nematzadeh. All rights reserved. Thank you very much for your visits, likes and comments here.
Persepolis was the ceremonial capital of the Achaemenid Empire (ca. 550–330 BC). It is situated 60 km northeast of the city of Shiraz in Fars Province, Iran. The earliest remains of Persepolis date back to 515 BC. It exemplifies the Achaemenid style of architecture. UNESCO declared the ruins of Persepolis a World Heritage Site in 1979.
www.gettyimages.fr/detail/photo/step-by-step-they-built-a...
TRIPYLON (Central Palace, Council Hall)
The center of Persepolis is occupied by the remains of a fairly small palace which is linked by means of three doorways and several passages to various other palaces. Hence, it is referred to as the «Central Palace», or often, as the «Tripylon» and less frequently, as the «King’s Gate».
However, as its northern stairway is ornamented with sculptured figures of the nobles of the empire who proceed informally and with a friendly air towards the hall of the palace, some have given the building the name «Council Hall».
The Central Palace was completed by Artaxerxes I on a platform 2.60m higher than the level of the court of the Apadana. It is ascended from that court by means of a sculptured stairway with two corresponding flights, which gives access to a portico. A doorway in the southern wall of the portico leads into a square hall which measures 15.46m on each side. The hall has two more doorways: one in the south and another in the east wall.
The southern doorway opens into another portico and through this into a small courtyard. The latter was originally connected to a number of storage and guardrooms on the west and by means of a small stairway to the area east of the Hadish (Palace of Xerxes). The eastern part of the Central Palace was entirely destroyed, but it was assumed that it had two rooms flanking a long corridor which linked the main hall to the Harem and to the Hundred Column Hall.
The Tripylon ("triple gate") of Persepolis can be found between the Apadana and the Hall of Hundred Columns and connects these two buildings. This suggests that it was built after the completion of these two buildings, but some scholars argue for an earlier date.
However this may be, the building consists of a central room with approaches to the north (to the Apadana), east (Hall of Hundred Columns) and south (Palace of Xerxes).
The three gates were decorated. In the eastern gate, we can see the king sitting on his throne, attended by the crown prince. The southern and northern gates show the king with an attendant, leaving the building. Both representations are well-known; parallels can be seen in the Palace of Xerxes and the Hall of Hundred Columns.
Several scholars argue that the Tripylon was in fact a meeting place, where the king could receive his advisers. They call it the Council Hall. Others stress that it is just a monumental corridor between three buildings. The fact that there is sufficient room between the gates to host several people, is not really decisive; the interior of the Gate of All Nations is also pretty spacious, and this does not mean that it served as a meeting place.
The capitals of the four columns in the hall represented a man's head with a bull's body. These mythological beings are called lamassus and originated in Babylonia and Assyria. The Persians adopted them and we can see them in Persepolis in the Gate of All Nations. The general idea behind these fantasy creatures is that they warded off evil; therefore, they are usually placed in gates. This might suggest that the Tripylon was a gate too (and not a Council Hall), but these lamassus served as capitals, which is unusual.
*The Past Coming Alive..
*Founders Of Futurism Architecture
*The Achaemenid Empire (550–330 BC), also called the First Persian Empire, was an empire based in Western Asia, founded by Cyrus the Great. Ranging at its greatest extent from the Balkans and Eastern Europe proper in the west to the Indus Valley in the east, it was larger than any previous empire in history, spanning 5.5 million square kilometers. Incorporating various peoples of different origins and faiths, it is notable for its successful model of a centralised, bureaucratic administration (through satraps under the King of Kings), for building infrastructure such as road systems and a postal system, the use of an official language across its territories, and the development of civil services and a large professional army. The empire's successes inspired similar systems in later empires. By the 7th century BC, the Persians had settled in the southwestern portion of the Iranian Plateau in the region of Persis, which came to be their heartland. From this region, Cyrus the Great advanced to defeat the Medes, Lydia, and the Neo-Babylonian Empire, establishing the Achaemenid Empire. Alexander the Great, an avid admirer of Cyrus the Great, conquered most of the empire by 330 BC. Upon Alexander's death, most of the empire's former territory came under the rule of the Ptolemaic Kingdom and Seleucid Empire, in addition to other minor territories which gained independence at that time. The Iranian elites of the central plateau reclaimed power by the second century BC under the Parthian Empire.The Achaemenid Empire is noted in Western history as the antagonist of the Greek city-states during the Greco-Persian Wars and for the emancipation of the Jewish exiles in Babylon. The historical mark of the empire went far beyond its territorial and military influences and included cultural, social, technological and religious influences as well. Despite the lasting conflict between the two states, many Athenians adopted Achaemenid customs in their daily lives in a reciprocal cultural exchange, some being employed by or allied to the Persian kings. The impact of Cyrus's edict is mentioned in Judeo-Christian texts, and the empire was instrumental in the spread of Zoroastrianism as far east as China. The empire also set the tone for the politics, heritage and history of modern Iran.
You know who were pretty awesome? The Assyrians. Their exhibit in the Lourve is one of the most spectacular. These are the Shedu, the winged bulls that gaurded the entrance to the King's palace. They have five legs by the way.
Lamassu is an Assyrian protective deity, also called “winged bull”. They served as magical protective spirits against intrusion by evil-doers or ghosts.
British Museum, London
On Explore on 3rd October 2017, #162
Assur was a historical city in Iraq.
A lamassu is an Assyrian protective deity.
A museum visitor is reflected on the protective glass of artist Robert Longo's "Destroyed Head of Lamassu, Nineveh" This is one of the most impressive exhibits I've ever seen. Working in charcoal on a massive scale Longo's work is so detailed that they appear to be black and white photographs.
Nimrud (ancient Kalhu), northern Iraq
Neo-Assyrian, about 883-859 BC
Protection for the royal palace from the forces of chaos
This is one of a pair of guardian figures that flanked one of the entrances into the throne room of Ashurnasirpal II (883-859 BC). Stone mythological guardians, sculpted in relief or in the round, were often placed at gateways to ancient Mesopotamian palaces, to protect them from demonic forces. They were known to the Assyrians as lamassu. This winged lion has five legs so that when viewed from the front it is standing firm, and when viewed from the side it appears to be striding forward against any evil. It wears ropes like other protective spirits. Between the legs is inscribed the 'Standard Inscription' of Ashurnasirpal which is repeated over many of his reliefs. It records the king's titles, ancestry and achievements.
This colossal figure was excavated by Austen Henry Layard who worked in Assyria between 1845 and 1851. He suggested that these composite creatures embodied the strength of the lion, the swiftness of birds indicated by the wings, and the intelligence of the human head. The helmet with horns indicates the creature's divinity.
www.britishmuseum.org/explore/highlights/highlight_object...
What a privilege for us to have this amazing art installation by Michael Rakowitz in our town.
This year our town is hosting the Turner Prize at the Towner and we have been loaned this sculpture courtesy of the Mayor of London and Tate.
The invisible enemy should not exist (Lamassu of Nineveh) is an ongoing project that artist Michael Rakowitz started in 2006 that attempts to reappear over 7,000 archaeological artefacts looted from the Iraq Museum during the Iraq War or destroyed in its aftermath.
For the Fourth Plinth Programme in London's Trafalgar Square, Rakowitz installed the Assyrian Lamassu, a winged bull and protective deity that stood at the entrance to Nergal Gate of Nineveh from c.700 BC until it was destroyed by ISIS in 2015 CE.
The Lamassu is made of empty Iraqi date syrup cans, representative of a once-renowned industry decimated by the Iraq Wars.
For more information www.michaelrakowitz.com/the-invisible-enemy-should-not-ex...
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We return to the British Museum today, and these statues, both winged and with human heads, but one of which is a bull and the other a lion – identified here pretty much only by the hooves or paws; they stood guard to the entrance of Ashurnasirpal II at the Assyrian capital Kalhu between 883 & 859 BC.
I’m no good at sums, but that’s pretty old!
You’ll note by looking in detail at the legs of each statue that they appear to have more limbs than they should have.
This was so that they would look be standing still and strong if viewed straight on, or as if they were moving forward when looked at from the side.
Using a tripod I was able to take a long exposure which made the light bursts on the four lights immediately at the entrance, and the square crop is due to the correction of the verticals.
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Lamassu are ancient guardian creatures of Mesopotamian origin. Here they can be seen guarding the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Free Masonry Temple in Covington, Kentucky. Luv the Cov.
LAMASSU-BRITISH MUSEUM-LONDON-LONDRES-ARTE-PINTURA-ACUARELAS-ASIRIA-ANUNNAKI-PINTOR-ERNEST DESCALS-
El pintar con acuarelas a los Lamassu, los leones alados de Nimrud en honor de Rey Assurnasirpal, ahora en el Bristish Museum de Londres, London, me produce una gran satisfacción personal, la antigua historia de Asiria y Mesopotamia y su estrecha relación con los venerados Anunnaki, una temática que he estudiado en profundidad y amor por lo ancestral. Obras de Arte en esculturas que son un prodigio de belleza y de poder que he pintado como devoto por la cultura de aquellos lugares donde se encuentran los secretos de la humanidad. Pintura del artista pintor Ernest Descals con acuarela sobre papel de 45 x 60 centímetros, estas visitas a los museos valen por todo un viaje al Reino Unido.
Painting the Lamassu, the winged lions of Nimrud, created in honor of King Ashurnasirpal and now housed in the British Museum in London, brings me immense personal satisfaction. The ancient history of Assyria and Mesopotamia, and their close connection to the revered Anunnaki, is a subject I have studied in depth, fueled by my deep love for the ancestral. These works of art, sculptures that are a marvel of beauty and power, have been painted with devotion to the culture of those places where the secrets of humanity lie. This particular painting, by the artist Ernest Descals, is a watercolor on paper measuring 45 x 60 centimeters. These museum visits alone are worth a trip to the United Kingdom.
What a privilege for us to have this amazing art installation by Michael Rakowitz in our town.
This year our town is hosting the Turner Prize at the Towner and we have been loaned this sculpture courtesy of the Mayor of London and Tate.
The invisible enemy should not exist (Lamassu of Nineveh) is an ongoing project that artist Michael Rakowitz started in 2006 that attempts to reappear over 7,000 archaeological artefacts looted from the Iraq Museum during the Iraq War or destroyed in its aftermath.
For the Fourth Plinth Programme in London's Trafalgar Square, Rakowitz installed the Assyrian Lamassu, a winged bull and protective deity that stood at the entrance to Nergal Gate of Nineveh from c.700 BC until it was destroyed by ISIS in 2015 CE.
The reverse features a carved cuneiform inscription that was invisible to viewers because it was cemented to the wall of the Nergal Gate. Here, in its removed and displaced state, the cuneiform is exposed and translates as: “Sennacherib, king of the world, king of Assyria, had the (inner) and outer wall of Nineveh built anew and raised as high as mountain(s)”.
The Lamassu is made of empty Iraqi date syrup cans, representative of a once-renowned industry decimated by the Iraq Wars.
For more information www.michaelrakowitz.com/the-invisible-enemy-should-not-ex...
PLEASE, NO invitations or self promotions, THEY WILL BE DELETED. My photos are FREE to use, just give me credit and it would be nice if you let me know, thanks.
This is a lamassu, it is an Assyrian protective deity, often depicted as having a human's head, a body of a bull or a lion, and bird's wings.
Human-headed winged bull and winged lion (lamassu), Neo-Assyrian, Ashurnasirpal II; 883–859 B.C.
Mesopotamia, Nimrud (ancient Kalhu)
Alabaster (gypsum); H. 10 ft. 3 1/2 in. (313.7 cm)
From the ninth to the seventh century B.C., the kings of Assyria ruled over a vast empire centered in northern Iraq. The great Assyrian king Ashurnasirpal II (r. 883–859 B.C.) undertook a vast building program at Nimrud, ancient Kalhu. Until it became the capital city under Ashurnasirpal, Nimrud had been no more than a provincial town.
The new capital occupied an area of about nine hundred acres, around which Ashurnasirpal constructed a mudbrick wall that was 120 feet thick, 42 feet high, and five miles long. In the southwest corner of this enclosure was the acropolis, where the temples, palaces, and administrative offices of the empire were located. In 879 B.C. Ashurnasirpal held a festival for 69,574 people to celebrate the construction of the new capital, and the event was documented by an inscription that read: "...the happy people of all the lands together with the people of Kalhu—for ten days I feasted, wined, bathed, and honored them and sent them back to their home in peace and joy."
The so-called Standard Inscription that ran across the surface of most of the reliefs described Ashurnasirpal's palace: "I built thereon [a palace with] halls of cedar, cypress, juniper, boxwood, teak, terebinth, and tamarisk [?] as my royal dwelling and for the enduring leisure life of my lordship." The inscription continues: "Beasts of the mountains and the seas, which I had fashioned out of white limestone and alabaster, I had set up in its gates. I made it [the palace] fittingly imposing." Such limestone beasts are the human-headed, winged bull and lion pictured here. The horned cap attests to their divinity, and the belt signifies their power. The sculptor gave these guardian figures five legs so that they appear to be standing firmly when viewed from the front but striding forward when seen from the side. These lamassu protected and supported important doorways in Assyrian palaces.
Metropolitan Museum of Art, NYC.
A lamassu is an Assyrian protective deity, often depicted as having a human's head, a body of an ox or a lion, and bird's wings. In some writings, it is portrayed to represent a female deity. A less frequently used name is shedu Sumerian: dalad; Akkadian, šēdu; Hebrew: שד) which refers to the male counterpart of a lamassu.The Lammasu or Lumasi represent the zodiacs, parent-stars or constellations.
In art, lamassu were depicted as hybrids, either winged bulls or lions with the head of a human male. The motif of a winged animal with a human head is common to the Near East, first recorded in Ebla around 3000 BCE. The first distinct lamassu motif appeared in Assyria during the reign of Tiglath-Pileser as a symbol of power.
The Assyrians typically prominently placed lamassu at the entrances of cities and palaces. From the front they appear to stand, and from the side, walk. Notable representations include those at the Gate of All Nations at Persepolis in Iran, the British Museum in London, the Musée du Louvre in Paris, the National Museum of Iraq in Baghdad, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and the Oriental Institute, Chicago.
A winged bull with the head of a bearded man appears on the logo of the United States Forces - Iraq.
Des génies protecteurs, appelés aussi Shêdu ou lamassu, taureaux ailés à tête humaine, étaient les gardiens de certaines portes de la ville et du palais. Symboles issus de la combinaison entre homme, taureau et oiseau à laquelle les cornes donnent un caractère divin, ils assuraient une protection contre tout ennemi éventuel.
Gylgamesh dieu des Enfers dans la mythologie mésopotamienne.
This looks so much Art Deco to me despite its age.
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The famous Gate of all Nations (Gate of Xerxes) at Persepolis, Iran. Persepolis was the capital of the Achaemenid Empire (ca. 550–330 BCE). The gate was built by Xerxes I, 486 to 465 BC. The Eastern entrance to the gate, was guarded by two giant Lamassu, one of which is seen here, with the bodies of winged bulls and the heads of bearded men. In the left distance a few of the remaining columns of the great Apadana palace, built by Darius the Great (550–486 BC), can be seen.
25/10/15 www.allenfotowild.com
Winged bull or lamassu from Dur-Sharrukin, Assyrian, reign of Sargon II
Крилат бик или ламасу от Дур-Шарукин, асирийски от времето на Саргон II
A Lamassu is a protective deity, often depicted with a bull or lion's body, eagle's wings, and human's head. A less frequently used name is shedu which refers to the male counterpart of a lamassu. In art, lamassu were depicted as hybrids, winged bulls or lions with the head of a human male. They are generally attributed to the ancient Assyrians.
Pergamon Museum
Berlin (Germany)