lamassu

lamassu, monumental Mesopotamian relief sculptures dating from the 9th to the 7th century bce. Similar to Chinese Lions of Fo, or shishi, lamassu are guardian sculptures, typically appearing in pairs, that were often placed outside prominent sites. They were parts of city gates or citadel gates (where the temple and palace would be located), and, therefore, they had a structural purpose. Lamassu depict a winged creature with the bearded head of a human and the body of a bull or a lion.

During the Assyrian period, Mesopotamian kings established palaces in cities such as Nimrūd and Dur Sharrukin. The palaces were a display of the kings’ power, and lamassu served to guard and exude that power. Inscriptions in cuneiform that declared aking’s might and punishment for those who opposed him were also added to some of these sculptures. Artisans carved lamassu in situ from monolithic stone weighing as much as 40 tons or more.

Lamassu are not sculptures in the round but “double-aspect” reliefs that are meant to be viewed from the front or the side. Lamassu may have four or five legs. For those that have five, two legs can be seen from the front, with the effect being that the figure appears to be standing still; in profile, four legs are visible, which makes the figure appear to be striding forward. Lamassu also have horned crowns and elaborate beards, and they have earrings in their ears, some of which are human and others are of a bull. According to some scholars, individual parts of a lamassu have specific meanings: the body of the bull represents strength, the wings represent freedom, and the human head represents intelligence.