Before we get to the Egyptian treasure, there are a few magnificient Assyrian wall reliefs Eagle-Headed Genie Alabaster, Neo-Assyrian Period, reign of Ashur-nasir-pal II (circa 883-859 B.C.E.) Iraq, Nimrud (Kalhu), from Room s of the Northwest Palace Brooklyn #55.149, Purchased with funds given by Hagop Kevorkian and the Kevorkian foundation photo © Joan Lansberry, May 2008-2016

"The twelve massive carved alabaster panels that line the walls of this gallery are but a small sample of the hundreds of such reliefs, all originally brightly painted, that once adorned the vast palace of Ashur-nasir-pal II, one of the greatest kings of ancient Assyria. Completed in 879 B.C at the site of Kalhu (modern Nimrud) in what is now Iraq, slightly north of Baghdad, the palace was the heart of a vast empire. "Like modern billboards trumpeting the virtues of some authoritarian ruler, the reliefs in Ashur-nasir-pal II's palace served a propagandistic purpose, proclaiming the king's legitimacy. Because most people in the ancient Near East understood the administration of the state as a collaborative effort between the king and the gods, many of the reliefs show the ruler and his supernatural attendants celebrating religious rituals. The most common depict the ruler and his winged protectors (genies) tending a sacred tree, an ancient symbol associated with the divine power to bestow life. Other reliefs from the palace show Ashur-nasir-pal II engaged in such princely pursuits as warfare, hunting, or celebrating his victoires at elaborate banquets." (From the info cards) "The Genie in this panel has an eagle head. "Ancient Assyrians believed that eagle-headed beings with human bodies, called apkallu, were endowed by the gods with extraordinary wisdom. Apkallu were thought to have helped build the great cities, and it was believed that they ensured the well-being of the cities' inhabitants. Small, clay eagle-headed figurines have been discovered buried in the walls of Assyrian building, probably to protect against evil." (From the info cards) We'll see falcon headed beings in the Egyptian collection, also!

Genie @ Brklyn

Genie @ Brklyn