The Ur Standard [continued]}[22nd December 1990]

[Redbook8:140-141][19901222:1304b]{The Ur Standard [continued]}[22nd December 1990]

19901222.1304

[continued]

‘... The composition* belongs to a genre well-established in Sumer. It is found on wall plaques and, in fragmentary form, on other wooden portable panels, almost all from temples. The latter show variations in costume and motifs, like some cylinder seals from the site of Mari in Syria, but usually the banquet scene involves a female dignitary. This has led to suggestions that a Sacred Marriage or New Year’s Festival is represented. At the top left of the “peace” panel is another large but destroyed figure with what could originally have been a flail or leaf like that held by the female on the Nippur plaque.

*

‘It would be important to know who is represented at the top left since the presence of a female, as well as the existence of explicitly religious and mythological content on the side panels, would make the Standard much more comparable with the wall-plaques, Her position, however, would be unusual and without her the feast in this case lacks clear religious symbolism when compared with other Banquet scenes of the Age, and looks much more like a general and his officers in congratulatory poses. It is therefore an exceptional variation of an established theme....’

***

(At this point I decided I must show the whole of the text and illustrations)****

*[Of the Ur Standard – see last previous entry]

**{See cutting [(ie photocopy)] attached, 140A-141A [in ms, but not reproduced here]}

***[– ibid (Encylopaedia of Visual Art 1: 60-61)]

****[Unclear why. See fn=** above]

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