Characteristics of Mesopotamian Art

Mesopotamian art was based on religious as well as mythological characteristics which were greatly displayed through sculptures, statues, cylinders, and paintings.

Mesopotamian art was very unique in its method of display. Each piece tells a separate story about how battles were won, how people expressed their religious beliefs and their beliefs in the mythological world. "Art in Mesopotamia became very decorative, stylized, and conventionalized at many different times and places. The gods took on human forms and humans were combined with animals to make fantastic creatures. Large temples and imposing palaces dotted the landscapes" (www.huntfor.com).

The Mesopotamian art was primarily created for a certain group of people and was scaled from small pieces to large sculptures. Many of the small pieces were produced as either a "cylinder seal or clay plaques" (www.cartage.org).

According to Mathews, Platt, and Noble, the artisans worked in many forms such as small seals, pottery, jewelry, vases, reliefs (figures and forms carved so that they project from the flat surface of a stone background), and statues. In media, clay, stone, precious gems, gold, silver, leather, and ivory" (Mathews, Platt, and Noble 13).

According to Mathews, Platt, and Noble, Mesopotamian art evolved from many periods. Starting from the "Protoliterate period which was the first period of Mesopotamian civilization, (3500-2900 BC), art was related largely to religious themes in forms of temple furnishings. It included things like cult vase of Uruk, an alabaster vase with decorated scenes of offerings brought to the temple. Beautiful stone heads of women representing fertility goddess Inanna, an Iraq Museum" (www.cartage.org).

The next period was the early Dynastic period and it ranged from 2900-2370BC. In this period there were "small figurines of worshipers which were used as offerings by pious visitors and pilgrims. These small figurines were mostly male and some female; they wore elaborate gowns and headdresses. The typical male worshipers were shown standing with long fringed skirts which left their chest bare. The prominent feature of the statues was the inlaid eyes which starred at the god they were dedicated to and their hands were clasped in prayer" (www.cartage.org). Also included in this period was the creation of monuments. These monuments were the rising power of the king, according to the members of the ozemail. These monuments were made of "limestone, the Stele of Vultures which was mawde for a King Eannatum of Lagash. In this monument the king is portrayed leading his army to victory while vultures pecked at disembodied heads of the victims. The rear of the monument depicted the god, who gave Eannatum victory, as an immense figure, gathering enemy into a huge net" (www.catage.org). "The theme of conflict occurs on the cylinder seals of this period. They were decorated with so-called combat friezes with continuous, repeated designs in an endless struggle for survival. The 16 elaborate built tombs contained a number of human sacrifices. The main tomb was decorated with wealth of luxuriously decorated objects, gold cups, bowls, jewelry of precious stones and metals as well as inlaid harps"(www.cartage.org).

The next period of the Mesopotamian art was the Akkadian, dated 2370-2230 BC. In this period the "Akkadian art was found in very high qualities and they represented the most unique forms of art created during Mesopotamian history" (www.cartage.com). The art put more inferences on ruler rather religion. "A now headless diorite statue of King Manishtusu depicts deftly with regal elegance the long, softly rippling robes worn by king. A Bronze head of a ruler identified with the King Naram Sin. The king, whose strong features are sensitively modeled, has an elaborately braided headdress or helmet and elaborately curled beard. The sandstone victory stele of King Naram Sin portrayed him larger than his soldiers and wearing the horned crown of a god. He stands facing a conical mountain, above are two stairs, divine symbols. Two forces are united in presence of the King who proudly records his military victory. The cylinder seals of Akkadian period display pairs of combatants carved with great realism and monumentality of form. Rich variety of mythological scenes depicts epic and divine tales" (www.cartage.org).

Neo-Sumerian period ranging from 2230-2200 BC involved a series of hard stone sculptures, depicted as humble and pious worshipers