Yale University Art Gallery - eCatalogue - Human Attendant Carrying a Bow, Arrows, and a Mace

This large relief depicts a standing male figure, probably a eunuch, judging by his portly physique and the absence of a beard. He wears a long tunic, fringed with tassels at the bottom edge, and sandals on his feet (with traces of red pigment preserved). An assortment of jewelry is visible, including an earring, a necklace, an arm ring, and a bracelet. His multiple weapons - a bow in one hand, a mace in the other, and a sword in a scabbard at his side - identify him as a royal bodyguard. Once brightly painted, this relief, along with many others representing both human and semi-divine figures (cf. 1854.1, 1854.3, 1854.4-5), belonged to the decorative program of the palace built by the Assyrian king Assurnasirpal II at ancient Kalhu (present-day Nimrud, Iraq). The cuneiform inscription running horizontally across the middle of the relief recounts the military, administrative, and religious achievements of the king.

http://ecatalogue.art.yale.edu/detail.htm?object...

no_tag