Hood Quarterly, spring/summer 2010
Assyrian Reliefs from the Palace of Ashurnasirpal II: A Cultural Biography, edited by Ada Cohen and Steven E. Kangas
The well-known narrative images of the Assyrian king Ashurnasirpal II (883–859 B.C.E.) at war and at the hunt are discussed frequently in studies of Near Eastern art. By comparison, the iconic reliefs depicting the ruler, his genies, and the "sacred tree," which are repeated over and over within the decorative scheme of Ashurnasirpal's palace in Nimrud, part of modern-day Iraq, are less studied and imperfectly understood by scholars. The essays in this lavishly illustrated volume explore the iconography of the reliefs, the fascinating story of their discovery and dispersal throughout the West, their biblical connections, and their cultural, artistic, and historical meanings. The book takes the reader from the ancient world of Assyria to its modern rediscovery to the digital reconstruction of the Nimrud palace.
Ada Cohen is associate professor of art history at Dartmouth College. Steven E. Kangas is senior lecturer in art history and Jewish studies at Dartmouth College.