The ''Statue of Iddi-Ilum'' is a 21st-century BCE statue of the praying figure of

Iddi-ilum Iddi-ilum, also Iddi-El or Iddin-El (, ''i-ti-ilum'', ruled 2090-2085 BCE), was a military governor, or ''Shakkanakku'', of the ancient city-state of Mari in eastern Syria, following the conquest, the destruction and the control of the city by t ...

(, ''i-ti-ilum''), the military governor, or ''

Shakkanakku Shakkanakku ( Sumerian: , GIR.NITA or ''šagina'', , ''Shakkanakku''), was an Akkadian language title designating a military governor. Mari was ruled by a dynasty of hereditary Shakkanakkus which was originally set by the Akkadian Empire and gain ...

'', of the ancient city-state of Mari in eastern

Syria Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...

. The headless statue was discovered at the

Royal Palace of Mari The Royal Palace of Mari was the royal residence of the rulers of the ancient kingdom of Mari in eastern Syria. Situated centrally amidst Palestine, Syria, Babylon, Levant, and other Mesopotamian city-states, Mari acted as the “middle-man� ...

during excavations directed by

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

archaeologist

André Parrot André Charles Ulrich Parrot (15 February 1901 – 24 August 1980) was a French archaeologist specializing in the ancient Near East. He led excavations in Lebanon, Iraq and Syria, and is best known for his work at Mari, Syria, where he led ...

. The statue was made of

soapstone Soapstone (also known as steatite or soaprock) is a talc-schist, which is a type of metamorphic rock. It is composed largely of the magnesium rich mineral talc. It is produced by dynamothermal metamorphism and metasomatism, which occur in the ...

and bears an inscription identifying the figure and dedicating it to the goddess

Ishtar Inanna, also sux, 𒀭𒊩𒌆𒀭𒈾, nin-an-na, label=none is an ancient Mesopotamian goddess of love, war, and fertility. She is also associated with beauty, sex, divine justice, and political power. She was originally worshiped in Su ...

Inanna Inanna, also sux, 𒀭𒊩𒌆𒀭𒈾, nin-an-na, label=none is an ancient Mesopotamian goddess of love, war, and fertility. She is also associated with beauty, sex, divine justice, and political power. She was originally worshiped in Su ...

. The statue is now displayed at the Musée du Louvre in

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. Si ...

. He was contemporary of the

Third Dynasty of Ur The Third Dynasty of Ur, also called the Neo-Sumerian Empire, refers to a 22nd to 21st century BC ( middle chronology) Sumerian ruling dynasty based in the city of Ur and a short-lived territorial-political state which some historians consider t ...

, and probably their vassal.

Overview

The soapstone statue depicts the standing figure in a traditional prayer posture with the hands clasped against the chest. The figure's head is lost, but his beard is still visible. The beard is sculpted in eight symmetrical braids that are curled at the end.Aruz; Benzel; Evans, 2008, p. 30. The statue's right arm and elbow are also lost.Parrot, 1938, p. 17. The figure is dressed in a long robe made of a single piece of fine-weave cloth that is draped around the body. The robe's borders are richly decorated with fringes and tassels. In a departure from Mesopotamian tradition regarding these garments, the robe covers both shoulders and is bound at the waist with a belt.

Inscription

The bottom of the robe bears a cuneiform inscription in

Akkadian Akkadian or Accadian may refer to: * Akkadians, inhabitants of the Akkadian Empire * Akkadian language, an extinct Eastern Semitic language * Akkadian literature, literature in this language * Akkadian cuneiform Cuneiform is a logo-syllabic ...

stating the name and position of the figure, and the deity the statue was dedicated to. The goddess has been interpreted as either

, or a Sumerian equivalent,

. The inscription, engraved in ten columns, reads: "Iddi-Ilum, shakkanakku of Mari, has dedicated his statue to Inanna. Whosoever erases this inscription will have his line wiped out by Inanna."

Significance

The statue is one of three known statues of the ''shakkanakku'' of Mari, the others being that of Ishtup-Ilum and the horned statue of Puzur-Ishtar. During the reign of Mari's last king, Zimrilim, these ancestral rulers were actively promoted through honorific rituals known as "kispum." The statues were also prominently displayed in the throne room of the

. The horns in the similar statue of Puzur-Ishtar suggest that he was deified, but the same can not be verified in the case of Iddi-Ilum and Ishtup-Ilum.Aruz; Benzel; Evans, 2008, p. 31.

Excavation

The statue was found during the fourth excavation season at Mari (Winter 1936–1937) by the French excavation team under

. The two pieces of the statue were found in courtyard 148 of the royal palace.

Gallery

File:Paris, musée du Louvre, AO 19486.jpg, The statue in 1936, at time of discovery. File:Idi-ilum Louvre AO 19486 n02.jpg, The inscription on the bottom of the statue (front). File:Idi-ilum Louvre AO 19486 n03.jpg, The inscription on the bottom of the statue (back). File:Mari-ki in cuneiform on the statue of Iddi-Ilum.jpg, upright=0.7, "Country of Mari" (

Cuneiform Cuneiform is a logo- syllabic script that was used to write several languages of the Ancient Middle East. The script was in active use from the early Bronze Age until the beginning of the Common Era. It is named for the characteristic wedge- ...

: , ''Mari-ki''), on the statue of Iddi-Ilum Iddi-Ilum, shagina Mari-ki.jpg, Iddi-Ilum, shagina Mari-ki, Inscription "Iddi-Ilum,

shakkanakku Shakkanakku ( Sumerian: , GIR.NITA or ''šagina'', , ''Shakkanakku''), was an Akkadian language title designating a military governor. Mari was ruled by a dynasty of hereditary Shakkanakkus which was originally set by the Akkadian Empire and gain ...

of Mari" (), on the statue of Iddi-Ilum

References

Citations

Bibliography

* * {{Louvre Museum 21st-century BC works 3rd-millennium BC sculptures 1930s archaeological discoveries Sculpture of the Ancient Near East Syrian art Archaeological discoveries in Mari, Syria Near East and Middle East antiquities of the Louvre Stone sculptures Sumerian art and architecture Inanna