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Relief of Protective Spirit, Apukallu
| Collection number | 彫017-2320 |
|---|---|
| Provenance | Nimrud, Iraq |
| Period | Neo-Assyrian period |
| Date | ca. 875-860 B.C. |
| Material | Gypsus Alabaster |
| Dimension | H. 106 cm |
| Comment | This is a part of the relief that decorated inner wall of a palace at Neo-Assyrian capital Nimrud (Kalhu). The imaginative creature, that has the head and wings of an eagle, and human body is the protective spirit called "Apukallu". It is thought that a black vulture was the model of this spirit. Apukallu is holding a pail in the left hand and a pine cone in the right hand. This motif is interpreted as a pollination to “a tree of life”, or a purification ceremony. |
| Classification | sculpture |
| Keyword | Gray Beautiful,Bulky Western Asia,Iraq,Nimrud,Western Asia,Iraq,North Stone/mineral,Limestone Sculpture/Statue,Relief Creature,Sacred animal,Deity/Spirit |