Artwork Page for Fragment of a Wall Decoration from the Palace of Xerxes: "Guardsman" in Procession

Details / Information for Fragment of a Wall Decoration from the Palace of Xerxes: "Guardsman" in Procession

Fragment of a Wall Decoration from the Palace of Xerxes: "Guardsman" in Procession

486–465 BCE

Iran, Achaemenid (550–330 BCE), Persepolis

Medium
gray limestone
Measurements
Overall: 53 x 43.6 cm (20 7/8 x 17 3/16 in.)
Credit Line
Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund 1943.279
Public Domain
You can copy, modify, and distribute this work, all without asking permission. Learn more about CMA's Open Access Initiative.
Location
102A Ancient Near East
ArtLens App
Print
?

Did You Know?

This relief was probably once brightly painted.

Description

In 486 BC, Xerxes succeeded Darius I as king of Persia. His empire, then the world’s largest and most powerful, encompassed an area from Libya to western India and from Ethiopia to Afghanistan. This relief fragment of one of his guards probably comes from the west stairway of his enormous palace at Persepolis. As chronicled by Herodotus, the Greeks defeated Xerxes in a clash of conflicting political systems: democracy and monarchy.
A gray limestone relief fragment depicts a bearded figure in profile facing right. He wears a tall fluted crown with vertical ridges. His hair and beard are carved in dense, repeating rows of tight circular curls. A strap and quiver fragment are visible behind his shoulder. The piece is roughly rectangular with jagged, broken edges, featuring substantial damage to the face and lower torso.

Fragment of a Wall Decoration from the Palace of Xerxes: "Guardsman" in Procession

486–465 BCE

Iran, Achaemenid (550–330 BCE), Persepolis

See Also

Visually Similar by AI

Contact Us

The information about this object, including provenance, may not be currently accurate. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please fill out the appropriate request form linked below:

Update or Correct Artwork Information

Imagery or Rights for Non-Open-Access Artworks

Report a Website Issue

Further Questions About This Artwork