Intercultural Style "lock shaped" weight, 3000 BC to 2000 BC
Intercultural Style 'lock shaped' weight. This type of stone sculpture is commonly referred to as a “lock” due to its form. Carved from a large slab of steatitic stone, with...
Intercultural Style "lock shaped" weight.
This type of stone sculpture is commonly referred to as a “lock” due to its form. Carved from a large slab of steatitic stone, with sculpted images rendered in low relief, this work probably originally functioned as some sort of ceremonial weight. On this weight, a mythological scene has been carved depicting a central figure with the upper torso of a man and broad shoulders. In his hands, he holds the tails of large scorpions that flank him on either side. The mysterious man is cleary in control of these powerful felines, thereby earning the label, “Master of the Beasts” which is applied to this theme. Such iconography seems to originate in eastern Iran and Central Asia, where the theme of man dominating over the animals appeared to be quite popular. Two scorpions frame this grouping, placed underneath the join of the handle to the body of the lock. According to some scholars, the wild beasts represent chaos and are contrasted to the humans, who display control over nature and the promise of fertility.
Found throughout the ancient Near East, from Syria to the Indus Valley, revealing the extensive trade routes of the time, these works are classified by modern historians as belonging to the “Intercultural Style,” called so because they derive iconographical elements from both Near Eastern and Harappan traditions. Much like the written cuneiform alphabet was used by several distinct cultures throughout the ancient Near East to dictate their individual spoken languages, so steatite works were created by various cultures, each adorning the piece with their own distinct aesthetic style. Many examples were discovered in the ruins of palace and temple structures or entombed in the graves of the nobility, including Sumerian Mesopotamia. Clearly these vessels and weights were among the most precious luxury items that could only be afforded by the ruling elite.
This type of stone sculpture is commonly referred to as a “lock” due to its form. Carved from a large slab of steatitic stone, with sculpted images rendered in low relief, this work probably originally functioned as some sort of ceremonial weight. On this weight, a mythological scene has been carved depicting a central figure with the upper torso of a man and broad shoulders. In his hands, he holds the tails of large scorpions that flank him on either side. The mysterious man is cleary in control of these powerful felines, thereby earning the label, “Master of the Beasts” which is applied to this theme. Such iconography seems to originate in eastern Iran and Central Asia, where the theme of man dominating over the animals appeared to be quite popular. Two scorpions frame this grouping, placed underneath the join of the handle to the body of the lock. According to some scholars, the wild beasts represent chaos and are contrasted to the humans, who display control over nature and the promise of fertility.
Found throughout the ancient Near East, from Syria to the Indus Valley, revealing the extensive trade routes of the time, these works are classified by modern historians as belonging to the “Intercultural Style,” called so because they derive iconographical elements from both Near Eastern and Harappan traditions. Much like the written cuneiform alphabet was used by several distinct cultures throughout the ancient Near East to dictate their individual spoken languages, so steatite works were created by various cultures, each adorning the piece with their own distinct aesthetic style. Many examples were discovered in the ruins of palace and temple structures or entombed in the graves of the nobility, including Sumerian Mesopotamia. Clearly these vessels and weights were among the most precious luxury items that could only be afforded by the ruling elite.