Artwork Page for Seated Ruler

Details / Information for Seated Ruler

Seated Ruler

2000–1700 BCE

North Syria, possibly Ebla

Medium
limestone with shell inclusions
Measurements
Overall: 66.7 x 38.2 x 54.6 cm (26 1/4 x 15 1/16 x 21 1/2 in.)
Weight: 212.281 kg (468 lbs.)
Credit Line
Leonard C. Hanna Jr. Fund 1969.37
Public Domain
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Location
102A Ancient Near East
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Did You Know?

The remains of a beard can be seen at the neckline.

Description

Four thousand years ago northern Syria was a crossroads of peoples and cultures, meeting through trade and military conflict. This statue of a portly man sitting on a low throne combines Assyrian and Amorite stylistic influences. It was possibly found at Ebla, where some scholars believe the biblical Abraham visited as he traveled from Chaldea to Canaan around 2000 bc. Such a large carved stone image suggests a local ruler or high official. The head was removed, probably in an act of ritual defilement, since decapitation was believed to cancel the object’s supernatural presence.
A dark gray, fragmented limestone sculpture depicts a headless ruler seated on a blocky throne. A textured beard remnant remains at the neck above a bare chest. Hands rest on the lap of a fringed garment detailed with vertical lines and four hanging bunches of fibers. A ribbed textile drapes over the left arm. Large bare feet rest on a thick rectangular base, the figure carved with heavy, blocky proportions.

Seated Ruler

2000–1700 BCE

North Syria, possibly Ebla

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