What wisdom is reflected in the sculptural art of Babylon?

The art of carving in the Valley of the Two Rivers has its origins in Sumer, where as early as 4000 B.C., works of statuary with unique national characteristics were produced. Sumerian carvings of various shapes, both in the round and in relief, were religious in character and each served a different religious function within the temples. A famous relief plaster vase, 90 centimeters high, with three rows of beautifully carved figures, was found in the temple of Eanata at Uruk in 3000 B.C. at the site of Varka. In the top row is the goddess Inanna, to whom all Sumerians were dedicated and who was the most popular goddess, and the statue shows a nude priest offering her a basket of fruit. Below Inanna are a number of minor gods, standing on model temples and some animals. The second row shows nude priests holding offerings. The third row is of animals and plants, representing her two "spheres".

The establishment of the kingdom of Akkad brought about an artistic leap that enriched the Sumerian language of childish modeling and a brief "Sumerian cultural renaissance". An example of this is the sculpted bronze head excavated in Nineveh, which is believed to be that of Sargon I, the founder of the Akkadian dynasty. The statue's facial molding is concise and realistic, and the decorative technique of the beard and hair is unique and powerful, which is a step forward on the basis of Sumerian stone sculpture.

There is very little sculpture left from the Babylonian period. The statue of the goddess "holding a vase of liquid" found in Mali is basically a traditional treatment in terms of style: the goddess is holding a stone vase from which liquid symbolizing a good harvest flows, and the water motifs and clothing motifs are integrated. A head of an emperor carved in black anthophyllite found in the Susa Mountains is very similar to the image of the emperor on the Hammurabi Codex tablet: the head is crowned with a crown, and the long stone carving is partially brilliantly displayed. The beard is woven into a regular pattern, and the eyebrows and eye sockets are stylized in keeping with the ancient traditions of the Sumerian-Akkadian period, with the two eyebrows joined to form a dull semicircle. This head is assumed to be a portrait of Hammurabi. There is also a bronze figurine with a gilded face and hands, which shows the image of a supplicant with a pious attitude and a moving demeanor.

The lion-headed eagle and the twin deer. What this odd beast in the center actually symbolizes is still unknown. The restored Ishtar Gate. Neatly arranged on both sides are reliefs of various animals. The art of bas-relief is almost as old as Babylon, and bas-reliefs of some kind of subject have been found in the temples of various cities. The reliefs are engraved on square limestone slabs, and from the fact that there is a gap in the center of the slabs, it is assumed that the slabs were made to be fastened in a certain place or to be hung on the religious vessels in the temples. The themes engraved on these slabs are mainly to celebrate the achievements and celebrations of the owner of the stone for the gods and goddesses, or to record the history of the army's advancement and victory over the neighboring countries.

The Anatom Pillar, known as the "Vulture Monument," is an outstanding example of Akkadian bas-relief. This monument celebrates the victory of Anathem, the ruler of the city-state of Rajash, over the neighboring city-state of Uma. The monument is also a border boundary stone, inscribed with a contract between the conqueror and the conquered. From the image on the upper level of the monolith, King Anathem can be clearly seen leading his army to battle, followed by a row of soldiers in square columns. The soldiers are wearing battle helmets and holding spears, and are covered by a wall of large shields. The next level shows the king standing on a chariot, throwing his spear and directing his soldiers to fight the enemy. The back of the tablet depicts a scene symbolically attributing victory to Ninjirsu, son of Enlil, the god of war, who has gathered his captives in a net guarded by the image of the lion-headed eagle Imdugud. A break in the stela depicts flying vultures carrying the severed heads of enemy soldiers. The inscription on the stela reveals the content of the image, which recounts the victory of the army of Ragash and declares that the defeated inhabitants of Ummah must offer tribute to the god of Ragash. This bas-relief reflects the basic principles of Sumerian monumental bas-reliefs, with its rounded and powerful blade, which began to break through the religious mysticism of the Sumerian period to focus on secularized realism.

Stone carving localized brilliant display