The ''Statue of Ebih-Il'' is a 25th-century BC statue of the praying figure of Ebih-Il (, EN-TI-IL, ''e-bih-il''), superintendent of the ancient city-state of Mari in modern eastern

Syria Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, is a country in West Asia located in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to Syria–Turkey border, the north, Iraq to Iraq–Syria border, t ...

. The statue was discovered at the Temple of

Ishtar Inanna is the List of Mesopotamian deities, ancient Mesopotamian goddess of war, love, and fertility. She is also associated with political power, divine law, sensuality, and procreation. Originally worshipped in Sumer, she was known by the Akk ...

in Mari during excavations directed by

French French may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France ** French people, a nation and ethnic group ** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices Arts and media * The French (band), ...

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 imp ...

. It is made of

gypsum Gypsum is a soft sulfate mineral composed of calcium sulfate Hydrate, dihydrate, with the chemical formula . It is widely mined and is used as a fertilizer and as the main constituent in many forms of plaster, drywall and blackboard or sidewalk ...

, with inlays of

schist Schist ( ) is a medium-grained metamorphic rock generally derived from fine-grained sedimentary rock, like shale. It shows pronounced ''schistosity'' (named for the rock). This means that the rock is composed of mineral grains easily seen with a l ...

, shells and

lapis lazuli Lapis lazuli (; ), or lapis for short, is a deep-blue metamorphic rock used as a semi-precious stone that has been prized since antiquity for its intense color. Originating from the Persian word for the gem, ''lāžward'', lapis lazuli is ...

. The statue is displayed in the

Musée du Louvre The Louvre ( ), or the Louvre Museum ( ), is a national art museum in Paris, France, and one of the most famous museums in the world. It is located on the Rive Droite, Right Bank of the Seine in the city's 1st arrondissement of Paris, 1st arron ...

. It has been described as "a masterpiece by virtue of its craftsmanship, state of preservation, and expressive style."

Overview

The statue, made of translucent smooth

alabaster Alabaster is a mineral and a soft Rock (geology), rock used for carvings and as a source of plaster powder. Archaeologists, geologists, and the stone industry have different definitions for the word ''alabaster''. In archaeology, the term ''alab ...

, depicts the figure of a man seated on a

wicker Wicker is a method of weaving used to make products such as furniture and baskets, as well as a descriptor to classify such products. It is the oldest furniture making method known to history, dating as far back as . Wicker was first documented ...

hassock. He is shown in a praying posture with hands clasped against his chest conveying his devotion to the deity. The man's head is shaved. His long beard is composed of vertical curls and has drilled holes drilled formerly inlaid with another, now-lost material. The beard accentuates the figure's cheeks and finely sculpted lips that convey a half-smile. The figure's staring blue eyes were crafted with particular care and detail. Flakes of

, shells and

form the

eyelash An eyelash (also called lash) (Neo-Latin: ''cilium'', plural ''cilia'') is one of the hairs that grows at the edges of the top and bottom eyelids, spanning outwards and away from the eyes. The lashes grow in up to six layers on each of the upper ...

es and

eyelid An eyelid ( ) is a thin fold of skin that covers and protects an eye. The levator palpebrae superioris muscle retracts the eyelid, exposing the cornea to the outside, giving vision. This can be either voluntarily or involuntarily. "Palpebral ...

cornea The cornea is the transparency (optics), transparent front part of the eyeball which covers the Iris (anatomy), iris, pupil, and Anterior chamber of eyeball, anterior chamber. Along with the anterior chamber and Lens (anatomy), lens, the cornea ...

and

iris Iris most often refers to: *Iris (anatomy), part of the eye * Iris (color), an ambiguous color term *Iris (mythology), a Greek goddess * ''Iris'' (plant), a genus of flowering plants * Iris (given name), a feminine given name, and a list of peopl ...

, respectively.Parrot, 1935, p. 26. The lapis lazuli inlays were imported from as far east as

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the Durand Line, east and south, Iran to the Afghanistan–Iran borde ...

. The figure has a bare torso and thin waist. The hands are clasped against the chest, with the left hand closed and placed inside the right hand. The figure's only dress is the Sumerian-style ceremonial

kaunakes A ''kaunakes'' (, or ; ; ; or ''persis''; or or ) was a woollen mantle associated with ancient Mesopotamia and Persia. It was woven in a tufted pattern, suggesting overlapping petals or feathers by sewing tufts onto the garment or looping them ...

skirt. This elaborate fleece skirt appears to be made from animal hide (probably

sheepskin Sheepskin is the Hide (skin), hide of a Domestic sheep, sheep, sometimes also called lambskin. Unlike common leather, sheepskin is Tanning (leather), tanned with the Wool, fleece intact, as in a Fur, pelt.Delbridge, Arthur, "The Macquarie Diction ...

or goatskin) as evidenced by the presence of a tail at the back. The figure's feet are missing but their attachment piece is still showing under the dress. The inscription in proto-cuneiform signs on the rear, which identifies the work, reads: "Statue of Ebih-Il, the superintendent, dedicated to

Virile."

Excavation

The statue was discovered in two parts by a French excavation team under

.Cluzan; Lecompte, 2011, p. 5. The head was found on the pavement of the outer court of the Temple of Ishtar, and a few meters away the body along with a smaller statue of King Lamgi-Mari. The left arm and elbow were broken, and the base of the right elbow was shattered. The statues were the first major discovery of the Mari excavations started winter 1933, the head found 22 January 1934, the body 23 January 1934. File:Ebih-Il (discovery, 22 January 1934, excavation).jpg, Excavation of the head of Ebih-Il (22 January 1934) File:Ebih-Il (discovery, 22 January 1934).jpg, Head of Ebih-Il (discovery, 22 January 1934) File:Ebih-Il (discovery, 23 January 1934, body).jpg, Body of Ebih-Il (discovery, 23 January 1934) Ebih-Il (discovery, 22 January 1934, portrait).jpg, Head of Ebih-Il upon discovery File:Ebih-Il (discovery, 22 January 1934, profile).jpg, Head of Ebih-Il upon discovery (profile)

Details of the statue

File:Ebih-Il Louvre AO17551 n01.jpg, Ebih-Il in the Louvre, AO17551 File:Ebih-Il Louvre AO17551 n02.jpg, The figure's facial expressions. The figure's hands are clasped in prayer File:Ebih-Il Louvre AO17551 n04.jpg, A profile of the statue showing the seated posture and the

skirt File:Ebih-Il Louvre AO17551 n11.jpg, A closeup of the finely crafted eyes File:Ebih-Il Louvre AO17551 n07.jpg, Dedication of the statue in Proto-cuneiform script: "Ebih-Il, nu-banda (, ''nu-banda'', "overseer"), offered his statue to Ishtar Virile" File:Ebih-Il (name).jpg, The name "Ebih-Il" (, EN-TI-IL) on the statue, with the corresponding standard Sumero-Akkadian

cuneiform Cuneiform is a Logogram, logo-Syllabary, syllabic writing system that was used to write several languages of the Ancient Near East. The script was in active use from the early Bronze Age until the beginning of the Common Era. Cuneiform script ...

s. File:Ebih-Il Louvre AO17551 n10.jpg, A closeup showing the details of the wicker seat

References

Citations

Bibliography