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Elamite sculpture
silver, gold
c. 1500 BCE
Elamite culture
present day Iran

An Elamite warrior attacking a Sumerian goddess, probably Ishtar.

#art #ancientart #elamiteart #sculpture #silver #gold
#conflict #war #warrior #propaganda #sumer #mesopotamia #ishtar #iran #iraq
This silver and gold composition is an Elamite masterpiece from southeastern Mesopotamia, dating to approximately 1500 BCE. It is currently part of the Al Thani Collection. The artifact is featured in the Animalia: Bestiary from The Al Thani Collection exhibition. The Elamites were a rival civilization to the Mesopotamian confederation, and fought many wars over a nearly 2000 year period. I believe that this Elamite sculpture shows an Elamite warrior (king?) about to kill the Mesopotamian goddess Ishtar. Sort of war-time propaganda circa 1500 BCE! A fierce and long-lasting rivalry existed between Elam and the city-states and empires of Mesopotamia for more than two millennia. This relationship swung between intense warfare, plundering, and trade. Around 2700 BCE, one of the earliest recorded conflicts in human history took place between the Sumerians and the Elamites. Ishtar also known as Inanna, was a mythological deity woman with horns and wings. Ishtar, Queen of the night also known as Inanna was the ancient Sumerian goddess of love, fertility, sexual desire, conflict, war, justice, and power.
August 2, 2026 at 4:37 PM