The first image is a photograph of the Lamassu statue found in the Palace of Assyrnipal II in Nimrud, Iraq. This is from the Assyrian Empire and was created in the 9th century BCE. The Lamassu was a protective deity in Assyrian culture with anthropomorphic and zoomorphic features. The Lamassu is made up of the wings of an eagle, the body/legs of a bull, and the head of a man. Continuing with traditions of ancient Mesopotamia, the man’s head wears a long rectangular beard similar to previous votive figures. In addition, the Lamassu wears a hat made out of stacked horns, a hat that sun god Eshnuna in Babylonian culture has also been portrayed wearing. Similar to other Assyrian works such as Assyrnipal II Killing Lions; fine attention to detail and a focus on the muscular anatomy of the bull or lion is present. Also similar to Assyrnipal II Killing Lions, the use of shallow perspective is used as the Lamassu’s four legs are portrayed from the side, creating 5 legs when seen at certain angles. The second image is a photograph of a prehistoric Paleolithic work known as the lion man statue. Another zoomorphic work, this statue combines a man’s body with the head of a lion. This work dates back roughly to 40,000 BCE, belonging to a hunter-gatherer society. Some archeologists have speculated that this work may reflect practices of ancient medicine men or shaman. Clearly a prehistoric work, no form of writing can be seen anywhere on the statue. The lion-man is clearly worn by time as the left half of the man’s body is missing. The carving is still somewhat crude; very little details are shown as the lion’s head lacks any sense of realism. The texture of the man’s body also appears rough, reflecting the age of the stone.
These two works serve very different functions. The large scale detailed and imposing Lamassu resided at a king’s palace, meant to intimidate both peers and enemies. The smaller scale lion-man features far less detail and artistic craft, reflecting a more primitive culture. While the Lamassu offered protection in a warring ancient Mesopotamia, the focus of the lion-man is not war with other humans but survival. Drawing on Paleolithic life and shamanistic practices, the lion-man is more akin to icons such as the Woman of Willendorf than other zoomorphic statues of intimidation like the Lamassu or the sphinx.