From Stone to Silicone. Ongoing. At the Harvard Semitic Museum. in Cambridge, Massachusetts

From Stone to Silicone. Ongoing. At the Harvard Semitic Museum. in Cambridge, Massachusetts. - This exhibit features striking silicone replicas of millennia-old reliefs from majestic Assyrian palaces in Nimrud and Nineveh (present-day Iraq). The reliefs can be less than a foot, or more than 12 feet tall. While some are free-standing, others stretch up to 14 feet long.  Using special characters and pictorial text, the reliefs describe King Ashurnasirpal of Assyria engaging in epic battles, speaking to the people of his empire, hunting lions, and boasting of his accomplishments. There are stories about soldiers and prisoners, as well as narratives of lavish celebrations with music and libation.

Newly fabricated cast of an ancient relief that once adorned a Mesopotamian palace wall. Meticulously created by museum curators and Harvard students, these relief sculptures show how the ancient kings commemorated their military triumphs and civic achievements. For ancient audiences, these scenes presented powerful royal propaganda. For modern audiences, they reveal great artistry and important glimpses into life in the ancient Near East.
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