Barakat Gallery
Skip to main content
  • Menu
  • Home
  • Artworks
  • Exhibitions
  • About
  • Contact
Menu
  • Menu

The Barakat Collection

Open a larger version of the following image in a popup: Sumerian seal in the form of a feline head
Open a larger version of the following image in a popup: Sumerian seal in the form of a feline head

Sumerian seal in the form of a feline head

Enquire
%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22title_and_year%22%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22title_and_year_title%22%3ESumerian%20seal%20in%20the%20form%20of%20a%20feline%20head%3C/span%3E%3C/div%3E

Further images

  • (View a larger image of thumbnail 1 ) Thumbnail of additional image
  • (View a larger image of thumbnail 2 ) Thumbnail of additional image
Jemdet Nasr Period is the conventional name given by scholars to an archaeological culture in southern Mesopotamia, limited to the south and central regions of the modern-day Republic of Iraq,...
Read more
Jemdet Nasr Period is the conventional name given by scholars to an archaeological culture in southern Mesopotamia, limited to the south and central regions of the modern-day Republic of Iraq, which has been generally dated around the period 3100–2900 BC. The mane was given after the site of the Tell Jemdet Nasr, where the assemblage typical for this period was first recognized.
The hallmark of the Jemdet Nasr Period is a very distinctive painted monochrome and polychrome pottery. The patterns employed are both geometric and figurative, with the latter displaying trees and animals such as birds, fish, goats, scorpions, and snakes. At the actual site of Jemdet Nasr, the painted pottery found was exclusively recovered in the settlement's large central building, and in consequence it is thought to have played a role in the administration of many economic activities.
Apart from the distinctive pottery, the period is also known as one of the formative stages in the development of the cuneiform script. By the time of the Jemdet Nasr Period, the script had already undergone a number of significant changes. It originally consisted of pictographs, but by the time of the Jemdet Nasr Period it was already adopting simpler and more abstract designs. It is also during this period that the script acquired its iconic wedge-shaped appearance. While the language in which these tablets were written cannot be identified with certainty, it is thought to have been Sumerian. The texts deal without exception with administrative matters such as the rationing of foodstuffs or listing objects and animals. Literary genres like hymns and king lists, which become very popular later in Mesopotamian history, are absent.
This feline head has been carved with schematic lines of great sensitivity, giving it an almost contemporary stylistic approach.
Close full details
Share
  • Facebook
  • X
  • Pinterest
  • Tumblr
  • Email
Previous
|
Next
27863 
of  28197

London

48 Albemarle Street,

London, W1S 4JW

info@barakatgallery.eu 

 

       


 

CONTACT | TEAM | PRESS 

 

Seoul
58-4, Samcheong-ro,
Jongno-gu, Seoul
+82 02 730 1949
barakat@barakat.kr
             

 

Los Angeles

941 N La Cienega Blvd
Los Angeles CA 90069
+1 310 859 8408

contact@barakatgallery.com

  


 

 

Facebook, opens in a new tab.
Instagram, opens in a new tab.
Send an email
View on Google Maps
Manage cookies
Copyright © 2025 Barakat Gallery
Site by Artlogic


Manage cookies
Accept

Cookie preferences

Check the boxes for the cookie categories you allow our site to use

Cookie options
Required for the website to function and cannot be disabled.
Improve your experience on the website by storing choices you make about how it should function.
Allow us to collect anonymous usage data in order to improve the experience on our website.
Allow us to identify our visitors so that we can offer personalised, targeted marketing.
Save preferences
Close

Join our mailing list

Sign Up

* denotes required fields