A GYPSUM BAS-RELIEF HEAD-COUNT FROM THE SOUTH-WEST PALACE OF SENNACHERIB AT NINEVEH (MOD. KUYUNJIK), 705-681 B.C., depicting three decapitated heads of bearded prisoners captured in one of the King's mountain campaigns in the East 6½ x 5in. (16.5 x 12.7cm.), mounted in wooden frame Sennacherib inherited an empire from his father Sargon, which he consolidated through a number of campaigns, notably south in Babylonia, in the mountains east of the Tigris, and in Palestine, which were recorded in his annals and palace reliefs. However, it is from biblical sources that he is best known. Sennacherib, of whom Byron wrote "the Assyrian came down like the wolf on the fold, and his cohorts were gleaming in purple and gold" attacked and destroyed Lachish, one of the principal cities in Palestine. Although envoys were sent to demand the surrender of Jerusalem, they failed in their attempt, thus fulfilling Isaiah's prophecy that the city would not fall (2 Kings, 18-20; 2 Chronicles, 22). "And it came to pass that night, that the angel of the Lord went out, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians a hundred fourscore and five thousand: and when they arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses" (2 Kings 19, v. 35). Herodotus (History ii, 141) also recounts a similar demise of the Assyrian army attributable to field mice chewing through their bow-strings. It is likely that this relief comes from slab 13 of Room XXXVIII of his "Palace without Rival", depicting one of Sennacherib's eastern campaigns in "a hilly region watered by a broad river", ( Russell , p. 64, figs. 72 and 115), the larger part of which is in the British Museum, and a fragment in the Metropolitan Museum (Gift of John D. Rockefeller Jr. 1932, Mus. 32.143.16, joins fragment published by D. Optiz, Archiv Für Orientforschung , 6, (1930-31)), Stevenson Smith , p. 51, Russell , fig. 73 PROVENANCE: Sir (Austen) Henry Layard's Expedition to Nineveh, 1849-1851. Given by Layard to Sir John and Lady Guest, Canford Manor, Dorset. After the Manor became an independent school in 1923 seven of what were thought to be the remaining reliefs were sold at auction in 1959 (Sotheby & Co., London, 16 November 1959, lots 53-59) LITERATURE: Layard, A. H., Nineveh and Its Remains , 2 vols, London, 1849 and 1853 Layard, A. H., Discoveries in the Ruins of Nineveh and Babylon , London, 1853 Hall, A., "The Ancient Near East: a New Gallery", Bulletin of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston , 1936, XXXIV, pp. 8-11 Porada, E. "Reliefs from the Palace of Sennacherib", Bulletin of the Metropolitan Museum of Fine Arts , 3, 1945, pp. 152-160 The Illustrated London News , 7 November 1959, p. 601 Stevenson Smith, W., "Two Assyrian Reliefs from Canford Manor", Bulletin of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston , 58, 1960, pp. 44-56 Russell, J. M., Sennacherib's Palace without rival at Nineveh , University of Chicago, 1991. A publication on Nineveh Court is in progress
A GYPSUM BAS-RELIEF HEAD-COUNT FROM THE SOUTH-WEST PALACE OF SENNACHERIB AT NINEVEH (MOD. KUYUNJIK), 705-681 B.C., depicting three decapitated heads of bearded prisoners captured in one of the King's mountain campaigns in the East 6½ x 5in. (16.5 x 12.7cm.), mounted in wooden frame Sennacherib inherited an empire from his father Sargon, which he consolidated through a number of campaigns, notably south in Babylonia, in the mountains east of the Tigris, and in Palestine, which were recorded in his annals and palace reliefs. However, it is from biblical sources that he is best known. Sennacherib, of whom Byron wrote "the Assyrian came down like the wolf on the fold, and his cohorts were gleaming in purple and gold" attacked and destroyed Lachish, one of the principal cities in Palestine. Although envoys were sent to demand the surrender of Jerusalem, they failed in their attempt, thus fulfilling Isaiah's prophecy that the city would not fall (2 Kings, 18-20; 2 Chronicles, 22). "And it came to pass that night, that the angel of the Lord went out, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians a hundred fourscore and five thousand: and when they arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses" (2 Kings 19, v. 35). Herodotus (History ii, 141) also recounts a similar demise of the Assyrian army attributable to field mice chewing through their bow-strings. It is likely that this relief comes from slab 13 of Room XXXVIII of his "Palace without Rival", depicting one of Sennacherib's eastern campaigns in "a hilly region watered by a broad river", ( Russell , p. 64, figs. 72 and 115), the larger part of which is in the British Museum, and a fragment in the Metropolitan Museum (Gift of John D. Rockefeller Jr. 1932, Mus. 32.143.16, joins fragment published by D. Optiz, Archiv Für Orientforschung , 6, (1930-31)), Stevenson Smith , p. 51, Russell , fig. 73 PROVENANCE: Sir (Austen) Henry Layard's Expedition to Nineveh, 1849-1851. Given by Layard to Sir John and Lady Guest, Canford Manor, Dorset. After the Manor became an independent school in 1923 seven of what were thought to be the remaining reliefs were sold at auction in 1959 (Sotheby & Co., London, 16 November 1959, lots 53-59) LITERATURE: Layard, A. H., Nineveh and Its Remains , 2 vols, London, 1849 and 1853 Layard, A. H., Discoveries in the Ruins of Nineveh and Babylon , London, 1853 Hall, A., "The Ancient Near East: a New Gallery", Bulletin of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston , 1936, XXXIV, pp. 8-11 Porada, E. "Reliefs from the Palace of Sennacherib", Bulletin of the Metropolitan Museum of Fine Arts , 3, 1945, pp. 152-160 The Illustrated London News , 7 November 1959, p. 601 Stevenson Smith, W., "Two Assyrian Reliefs from Canford Manor", Bulletin of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston , 58, 1960, pp. 44-56 Russell, J. M., Sennacherib's Palace without rival at Nineveh , University of Chicago, 1991. A publication on Nineveh Court is in progress
Try LotSearch and its premium features for 7 days - without any costs!
Be notified automatically about new items in upcoming auctions.
Create an alert
.jpg "Source: Christie's")
.jpg "Source: Christie's")
