Royal Lion Hunt (detail), Assyrian, 875–860 BC, Kalhu (Nimrud), Northwest Palace, reign of Ashurnasirpal II, gypsum. British Museum, London, 1849,1222.8, 1849. Image © The Trustees of the British Museum. All rights reserved

Power and Politics: Assyrian Palace Sculptures at the British Museum

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This event has been canceled as part of Getty’s response to the coronavirus (COVID-19).

Ancient Assyria was one of the great civilizations of the ancient world. The empire reached its height between the 9th and 7th centuries B.C., occupying territory from the eastern Mediterranean to western Iran. Art and architecture flourished, and kings built lavish palaces lined with exquisitely cared stone walls depicting mythological creatures, military battles, ritual acts, and the royal hunt. Gareth Brereton, archaeologist and curator at the British Museum, discusses their discovery in the mid-19th century, the political and ideological messaging behind the stunning imagery, and their contribution to the legacy of Assyria’s great cities and legendary rulers. Complements the exhibition Assyria: Palace Art of Ancient Iraq.

Dr. Gareth BreretonGareth Brereton is curator for ancient Mesopotamia in the department of the Middle East at the British Museum. He was awarded his PhD in archaeology at the Institute of Archaeology in the University College London. Brereton is a specialist in the funerary archaeology and material culture of Mesopotamia and was lead curator for the major British Museum exhibition I am Ashurbanipal: King of the World, King of Assyria. He has worked as an archaeologist in Iraq, Turkey and Oman, and currently serves as a Council Member and Trustee for the British Institute for the Study of Iraq.

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