Hazael's Sphinx

 

This ivory plaque was used to ornament a piece of ceremonial furniture. It was discovered in the palace of the Assyrian governor of the city of Ḥadātū on the upper Euphrates, where the Assyrian Empire had its seat in northern Syria. It has been established, however, that the plaque was not made there but had been taken as plunder, along with other plaques of the same type, from the princely palaces in Aramean cities when they were conquered by the Assyrian army, and particularly during the sack of Damascus in 732 BC. One such plaque bears the name of Hazael, "King of Aram|", who reigned in Damascus from 845 BC to 805 BC. Hazael was known for his fierce resistance to the Assyrian invaders. The sphinx, a winged lion with a human head, is a figure borrowed from the Egyptian repertoire. Its use demonstrates the way Aramean craftsmen were able to integrate themes originating in the countries with which they had contact. 

Provenance: ʾArslān Ṭāš (ancient Ḥadātū).

Era: Iron Age (circa 800 BC).

Substance: ivory. 

Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.8 x 1 cm. 

Photo: Jacques Lessard.

Collection of the National Museum of Aleppo. 

Michel Fortin, Syria, Land of Civilization. Les Éditions de l'Homme, Musée de la Civilisation de Québec 1999.