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Ancient Near East
AP Art history flashcards for images-citations and images-significance.
28
Art History
12th Grade
09/25/2012

Additional Art History Flashcards

 


 

Cards

Term
[image]
Definition

Subject: Ashurbanipal hunting lions, relief from the north Palace of Ashurbanipal, Nineveh, Iraq, ca. 645-640 BCE. Gypsum, 5'4" high.  British Museum, London. 

Style: Assyrian

Significance: Shallow relief is indicative of assyrian art as opposed to Persian.  The artwork is used to display the king's power.  He slays even the most worthy opponents.  The "king of beasts" is shown to have extremely defined muscles and is very powerful, but the king slays him anway.


Term
[image]
Definition

Subject: Assyrian archers pursuing enemies, relief from the northeast palace of Ashurnasirpal II, Kalhu, Iraq, ca. 875-860 BCE.  Gypsum, 2' 10 5/8" high.  British Muesum, London.

Style: Assyrian

Significance: Highly narrative compared to early near eastern reliefs.  Twisted perspective used frequently in the archers and other figures.  distance and size aren't employed realistically, sacrificed to maintain narrative.

Term
[image]
Definition

Subject: Banquet scene, cylinder seal, Tomb of Pu-abi, Royal cemetary, Ur, Iraq, ca. 2600 BCE.  Lapis Lazuli, approx 2" high.  British Museum, London.

Style: Sumerian

Significance: Use of registers to organize image.  Use of hierarchy of size and scale.  The most important figures are seated and are still taller than other figures on the seal.

Term
[image]
Definition
Soundbox of the lyre from Tomb 789 ("King's Grave"), Royal Cemetary, Ur, Iraq, ca. 2600 BCE.  Wood with inlaid gold, lapis lazuli and shell, approx. 1' 7" high.  University Museum, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia.
Term
[image]
Definition

Subject: Bull-headed lyre (restored) from tomb 789 ("King's Grave"), Royal cemetary, ur, Iraq, ca. 2600 BCE.  Gold leaf and lapis lazuli over a wooden core, approx. 5' 5" high.  University Museum, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia.

Style: Sumerian

Significance: stylization of Bull's face and beard.  Lapis Lazuli and Gold leaf indicate trade.  Beard on bull indicates composite figure. 

Term
[image]
Definition

Subject: Fragment of the victory stele of eannatum, (Victory stele of the vultures), from Girsu, Syria, ca. 2600-2500 BCE.  Limestone, full stele approx. 5' 11" high.  Louvre, Paris.  

Style: Sumerian

Significance: Hierarchy of rank (powerful soldiers march on top of lowly victims), Hierarchy of scale- hug figure visible on the bottom register.

Term
[image]
Definition

Subject: Head of an Akkadian ruler, from Nineveh, ca. 2250-2200 BCE.  Copper, 1' 2 3/8" high. Iraq Museum, Baghdad.

Style: Akkadian

Significance: casting bronze is an incredibly lengthy, time and energy consuming process.  A society would need to have a huge economic surplus to be able to support it.

Term
[image]
Definition

Subject: Female head (Inanna?), from Uruk, Iraq, ca. 3200-3000 BCE. Marble, approx. 8" high.  Iraq Museum, Baghdad.  

Style: Sumerian

Significance:  Marble is an indicator of trade.  Several other materials were intended to acompany this sculpture, including gold leaf hair.  Traces of pigment on the marble- once painted.

Term
[image]
Definition
Ishtar gate (restored), Babylon, Iraq, ca. 575 BCE.  Glazed brick.  Staatliche Museum, Berlin.
Term
[image]
Definition
Lamassu from the citadel of Sargon II, Dur Sharrukin, Iraq, ca. 720-705 BCE.  Limestone, approx. 13' 10" high.  Louvre, Paris.  
Term
[image]
Definition
Lion Gate, Boghazkoy, Turkey, ca. 1400 BCE. Limeston, lions approx. 7' high.
Term
[image]
Definition
Presentation of offerings to Inanna (Warka Vase), from Uruk, Iraq, ca. 3200-3000 BCE. Alabaster, 3' 1/4" high.  Iraq Museum, Baghdad.
Term
[image]
Definition
Processional Frieze (detail), on the terrace of the royal audience hall (apadana), Persepolis, Iran, ca. 521-465 BCE.  
Term
[image]
Definition
Persepolis, (royal audience hall in the background), Iran, ca. 521-465 BCE.  
Term
[image]
Definition
War side of the Standard of Ur, from tomb 779, Royal Cemetary, Ur, Iraq, ca. 2600 BCE.  Wood inlaid with shell, Lapis Lazuli, and red limestone, approx. 8"x1' 7".  British Museum, London.
Term
[image]
Definition
Seated statue of Gudea holding temple plan, from Girsu, Iraq, ca 2100 BCE.  Diorite, approx. 2' 5" high.  Louvre, Paris.
Term
[image]
Definition
Seated statue of Queen Napir-Asu, from Susa, Iran, ca. 1350-1300 BCE.  Bronze and copper, 4' 2 3/4" high.  Louvre, Paris.
Term
[image]
Definition
Statuettes of two worshippers, from the Square Temple at Eshnunna, Iraq, ca. 2700 BCE.  Gypsum inlaid with shell and black limestone, male figure approx. 2' 6" high.  Iraq Museum, Baghdad.
Term
[image]
Definition

Victory stele of Naram-sin, from Susa, Uran, 2254-2218 BCE. Pink Sandstone Approx.

6' 7" high. Louvre, Paris. 

Term
[image]
Definition
Ziggurat (northeastern facade with restored stairs), Ur, Iraq, ca. 2100 BCE.
Term
[image]
Definition

Stele with law code of Hammurabi, from Susa, Iran, ca. 1780 BCE.  Basalt, approx.

7' 4" high.  Louvre, Paris.

Term
Ziggurat
Definition

A trapezoidal mound made of unfired mud bricks.  A stepped ziggurat has several levels piled on top of one another.  Functioned as temples in Sumer.

Term
Cella
Definition
A small waiting room at the top of a temple, where a priest would wait to meet a god and ask them for assistance.
Term
Bent Axis Approach
Definition
Priests had to walk around the cella before entering in order to prepare themselves to meet with a god.
Term
Votive Figures
Definition
Small figures intended to pay homage to a diety.  The figures were also meant as placeholders, so that while a priest was absent from the cella, a god would not come and find it empty.  The votive figures often had wide open eyes because their job is to watch for the god..
Term
Registers
Definition
Levels used to organize an image.
Term
Hierarchy of Rank
Definition
Visuals other than size are used to denote those of higher or lower rank.  Amount of clothing, being seated, placement in an image, and symbolic objects (such as the hat of divinity) can be used to communicate this hierarchy.  
Term
Hierarchy of Scale
Definition
Size denotes importance.  The most important people/objects in an image are the most important regardless of their actual size
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