LaurieAnnie's photos with the keyword: Parthian

Door lintel with lion-griffins and vase with lotus leaf, 2nd–3rd century; Parthian period Hatra, northern Mesopotamia Limestone L. 67 3/4 in. (172.1 cm) Purchase, Joseph Pulitzer Bequest, 1932 (32.145a, b) Under Alexander the Great (r. 336–323 B.C.), the Greeks put an end to Achaemenid power, and an era of Greek influence in the ancient Near East began. Babylon, Susa, and Persepolis fell to the armies of Alexander in 331 B.C., and his power extended as far as India. But in 323 B.C., while still a young man, Alexander became ill and died in Babylon. Deprived of his leadership, the empire that might have become the greatest of the ancient world was split by a struggle for power among his successors, the Seleucid kings. The Parthian dynasty, originally from the north and east of Iran, established supremacy in the Near East in the second century B.C., after the disintegration of Alexander's empire and collapse of his successors. Ctesiphon, the capital, was situated on the bank of the Tigris River opposite the earlier Greek settlement of Seleucia. The border between the western empire of Rome and the Parthian lands in the east ran between the central and northern Euphrates and Tigris rivers. Hatra in northern Iraq, southwest of modern Mosul, was a major trading city heavily fortified against Roman attack and populated by a mixture of peoples, Parthians as well as Arabs and the inhabitants of Syria. Once part of a decorated doorway in the north hall of the so-called Main Palace at Hatra, this lintel stone was originally positioned so that the carved surface faced the floor. The two fantastic creatures have feline bodies, long ears, wings, and crest feathers—a combination of animal and bird elements typical of Near Eastern lion-griffins. Between the two figures is a vase containing a stylized lotus leaf and two tendrils. The naturalistic modeling of the creatures' bodies and the form of the central vase reflect Roman influence. However, the absolute symmetry of the composition, the pronounced simplification of the plant forms, and the lion-griffin motif are all characteristic of the Near East. Text from: www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/32.145a%2Cb

Spout in the shape of a man's head, 1st–2nd century a.d.; Parthian period Iran Glazed ceramic H. 8 1/4 in. (20.9 cm) Gift of Walter Hauser, 1956 (56.56) This spout displays the high degree of Hellenism seen in many examples of Parthian art. The moustache and beard were originally inlaid with shiny iron pyrites, pieces of which are still visible in the beard. The central parting of the hair is a distinctly Parthian feature also found on coins. The long, thin face and prominent nose suggest the likeness of an actual individual. Text from: www.metmuseum.org/toah/ho/05/wai/ho_56.56.htm

Spout in the shape of a man's head, 1st–2nd century a.d.; Parthian period Iran Glazed ceramic H. 8 1/4 in. (20.9 cm) Gift of Walter Hauser, 1956 (56.56) This spout displays the high degree of Hellenism seen in many examples of Parthian art. The moustache and beard were originally inlaid with shiny iron pyrites, pieces of which are still visible in the beard. The central parting of the hair is a distinctly Parthian feature also found on coins. The long, thin face and prominent nose suggest the likeness of an actual individual. Text from: www.metmuseum.org/toah/ho/05/wai/ho_56.56.htm

Figure of a reclining woman, 2nd century b.c.–2nd century a.d.; Parthian period Mesopotamia Alabaster (gypsum) L. 2 7/8 in. (7.3 cm) Purchase, Catharine Lorillard Wolfe Gift, 1886 (86.16.3) This alabaster figurine is of a nude woman reclining on her left side. Her left arm, which would have supported her body, is missing. The right arm is extended along her side, with the tips of her fingers resting lightly on her thigh. Faint bands at the woman's neck indicate creases; the subtle folds of flesh along the right side of the torso emphasize the full curves of her figure. Reclining figures are common among Greek terracottas, and the appearance of the posture in Mesopotamian sculpture may reflect the influence of Greek terracotta manufacturing centers along the eastern Mediterranean. The majority of Greek terracottas of this type are male, however, as are reclining figures depicted in Greco-Roman funerary reliefs. In Mesopotamia, the opposite is true: whether the figurine is fashioned of alabaster or terracotta, the subject is usually a woman. While the treatment of the body and graceful pose of the present sculpture undeniably betray Hellenistic influence, the creases at the neck, the drilled navel, and the voluptuous form are elements of an established local tradition. Text from: www.metmuseum.org/toah/ho/05/wam/ho_86.16.3.htm

Lion-Shaped Spouted Horn Unknown Parthian, 100 - 1 B.C. Silver, gold, and garnet 12 x 7 5/16 x 14 in. 86.AM.754.1 A lion's head and torso, with inlaid garnet eyes, open roaring mouth, and bulging veins, leaps out from the curved body of this large Parthian silver rhyton. Gilding accentuates elements like the mane and the veins in the legs. The quality of workmanship and materials and the subject of this rhyton--a lion--communicate the original owner's wealth and status. The lion had royal associations in Near Eastern art and was a symbol of nobility and courage. The term rhyton comes from the Greek verb meaning "to run through," and depictions of rhyta on Greek vases show that they were used to aerate wine. Wine poured into the top of the vessel comes out of the spout between the animal's legs. Stylistic features suggest that this rhyton was made in northwest Iran in the first century B.C. Iran had been part of the Achaemenid Persian Empire until Alexander the Great conquered it. After his death in 323 B.C., the Hellenistic Greek Seleucid dynasty, whose kingdom stretched from Turkey to Afghanistan, ruled the area. As Seleucid authority began to weaken in the later 200s B.C., a group of semi-nomadic people from the steppes of south central Asia called the Parthians challenged the dynasty; by the mid-100s B.C., they had firm control of this area of Iran. This complicated political history left its legacy in the art of the area. The floral motifs on the rhyton are drawn from Seleucid art, while rhyta of this form had a long history in earlier art of Iran. Text from: www.getty.edu/art/gettyguide/artObjectDetails?artobj=14969

Wine Cup with Floral Decoration Parthian, 100-1 BC Silver, gold, semiprecious stones, and glass Inventory # 86.AM.754.4 Text from the Getty Villa museum label.

Lion-Shaped Spouted Horn Unknown Parthian, 100 - 1 B.C. Silver, gold, and garnet 12 x 7 5/16 x 14 in. 86.AM.754.1 A lion's head and torso, with inlaid garnet eyes, open roaring mouth, and bulging veins, leaps out from the curved body of this large Parthian silver rhyton. Gilding accentuates elements like the mane and the veins in the legs. The quality of workmanship and materials and the subject of this rhyton--a lion--communicate the original owner's wealth and status. The lion had royal associations in Near Eastern art and was a symbol of nobility and courage. The term rhyton comes from the Greek verb meaning "to run through," and depictions of rhyta on Greek vases show that they were used to aerate wine. Wine poured into the top of the vessel comes out of the spout between the animal's legs. Stylistic features suggest that this rhyton was made in northwest Iran in the first century B.C. Iran had been part of the Achaemenid Persian Empire until Alexander the Great conquered it. After his death in 323 B.C., the Hellenistic Greek Seleucid dynasty, whose kingdom stretched from Turkey to Afghanistan, ruled the area. As Seleucid authority began to weaken in the later 200s B.C., a group of semi-nomadic people from the steppes of south central Asia called the Parthians challenged the dynasty; by the mid-100s B.C., they had firm control of this area of Iran. This complicated political history left its legacy in the art of the area. The floral motifs on the rhyton are drawn from Seleucid art, while rhyta of this form had a long history in earlier art of Iran. Text from: www.getty.edu/art/gettyguide/artObjectDetails?artobj=14969

Bronze helmet Near Eastern, Iranian, Persian, Parthian, 249 B.C.–A.D. 224 Place of Manufacture: Iran or eastern Anatolia Dimensions: Height: 34 cm (13 3/8 in.) Medium or Technique: Bronze Classification: Warfare, hunting, & fishing Catalogue Raisonné: Sculpture in Stone and Bronze (MFA), no. 120. Accession Number: 1979.41 Bronze helmet in the form of a Kedaris (the headdress popular among the nomadic peoples of Anatolia), with elaborately chased patterning imitating the quilted fabric, and rosettes on the sides and peak. Text from: www.mfa.org/collections/object/bronze-helmet-155932