Assyrian Empire: Imperial Luxury
Summary
TLDRThis video explores the remnants of the Syrian Empire's imperial luxury, focusing on surviving artifacts from looted palaces. It discusses decorative alabaster slabs mimicking textiles, and ivory carvings like a lion's head, symbolizing royal power. The carvings, some with Egyptian motifs, reflect the king's authority and the empire's wealth. The video also touches on the Assyrian palaces' lush gardens and the use of materials like ivory, signifying long-distance trade and the king's control over nature.
Takeaways
- 🏛 The script discusses surviving artifacts from the Syrian Empire's Imperial palaces, which give insight into the luxury of the time.
- 📜 The 'threshold pavement slab' is a decorative alabaster carving that likely imitated textiles, a common form of luxury decoration in the palaces.
- 🎨 The alabaster slab was painted, indicating that it was not a practical substitute for carpets but rather a permanent representation of luxury.
- 🦁 Ivory carvings of lion heads symbolized royalty and power, possibly being part of furniture, and their survival is attributed to being discarded in a well during looting.
- 🐘 Ivory was not locally sourced and had to be imported, indicating the extent of the empire's trade routes and the king's power to acquire such materials.
- 🕊️ The script mentions two styles of ivory carving, one with deep carving and the other with inlaid woods, reflecting different artistic influences.
- 🌿 Both styles of carvings often feature botanical motifs, symbolizing the king's control over nature and the abundance of his empire.
- 👁 The 'Eye of Horus' symbol on an ivory plaque suggests Egyptian influence and the idea of protection, showing cultural exchange between civilizations.
- 🦅 The presence of sphinx motifs, borrowed from Egyptian art, further illustrates the cultural borrowing and the display of power and wisdom.
- 🌳 The script highlights the importance of lush gardens and the display of wild animals around the palaces, reinforcing the king's dominion over nature.
- 💎 The use of semi-precious stones in the carvings, a technique called Klausen a, added to the opulence and grandeur of the palaces, intended to overwhelm the senses.
Q & A
What happened to many of the Assyrian palaces and their contents after the empire fell?
-When the Assyrian Empire fell, many of its palaces were destroyed by incoming armies. However, some objects survived and provide insights into the luxurious nature of these spaces.
What is the significance of the threshold pavement slab mentioned in the script?
-The threshold pavement slab is a low relief decorative carving of alabaster placed inside the doorway of a palace. It likely mimicked a textile, symbolizing luxury and permanence in palace decoration.
Why did none of the textile objects from the Assyrian palaces survive?
-The climate in the region was not suitable for preserving fibers over long periods, so none of the original rugs and wall hangings survived.
How were ivory carvings preserved over the centuries?
-Many ivory carvings were preserved because they were thrown down a particular well during the looting of the palaces, protecting them from destruction.
What does the lion's head ivory carving symbolize?
-The lion's head ivory carving symbolizes power and authority. Lions were associated with royalty, and bringing a lion under one's power was rhetorically potent for the Assyrian kings.
What were the probable uses of the lion's head ivory carving?
-The lion's head ivory carving was likely a component of a piece of furniture, such as a throne or a chair, where the lion's head would be a decorative element.
What are the different styles of Assyrian ivory carving mentioned?
-There are two main styles of Assyrian ivory carving: one featuring deep carving and techniques like cloisonné and open work, influenced by Egyptian art, and another style focusing on inlays of different colors of wood and ivory, reflecting a more local Assyrian aesthetic.
What motifs are common in Assyrian ivory carvings?
-Common motifs in Assyrian ivory carvings include hybrid animals like griffins, botanical elements such as lotus flowers and vines, and symbols of royalty and power like lions and sphinxes.
What is the Eye of Horus, and how was it used in Assyrian ivory carvings?
-The Eye of Horus is an Egyptian symbol of protection, healing, and well-being. In Assyrian ivory carvings, it was used as a decorative element, such as on an eye blinker for a horse, symbolizing protection for the valuable animal.
How did the Assyrians incorporate Egyptian influences into their ivory carvings?
-The Assyrians incorporated Egyptian influences by adopting motifs such as the sphinx and the Eye of Horus. These symbols were integrated into their art, reflecting both Egyptian and Assyrian elements, including royal crowns and stylized vegetation.
What was the purpose of the lush gardens and zoos surrounding the Assyrian palaces?
-The lush gardens and zoos surrounding the Assyrian palaces symbolized the king's authority over nature and the natural wealth of his empire. They served as a reflection of the king's power and ability to bring bounty to his realm.
Outlines
🏛️ Imperial Luxury and Surviving Artifacts
The video script discusses the remnants of luxury from the Syrian Empire's imperial palaces, focusing on objects that survived looting and destruction. A threshold pavement slab made of alabaster, likely mimicking a textile design, is highlighted as a symbol of the opulence that once adorned the palaces. The climate in the region was not conducive to preserving actual textiles, making this artifact a unique surrogate. Additionally, the script introduces an ivory carving of a lion's head, a symbol of royalty and power, which was part of the furniture and likely had a permanent presence in the palace. The discussion also touches upon the trade routes that brought ivory, a non-local material, into the empire, emphasizing the Assyrian kings' ability to acquire exotic materials as a display of their authority.
🎨 Artistic Styles and Symbolism in Ivory Carvings
The script delves into the different styles of ivory carvings found in the Syrian Empire, which are indicative of the artistic influences and craftsmanship of the time. Two primary styles are identified: one with deep carving and the use of semi-precious stones, known as Klausen a, and another with inlays of different colored woods and ivory, reflecting a more local Syrian aesthetic. Both styles feature botanical motifs, suggesting the presence of lush gardens and a connection to nature, which was a symbol of the king's authority over the natural world. The script also mentions the Egyptian influence on some ivory pieces, such as an eye blinker for a horse featuring the Eye of Horus, a symbol of protection, and a sphinx plaque, which combines the strength of a lion with human wisdom and Egyptian royal symbolism.
🦁 The Splendor of Assyrian Palaces and Symbolic Representations
The final paragraph of the script emphasizes the overwhelming splendor of the Assyrian palaces, which was a reflection of the king's power. The use of luxurious materials like ivory and semi-precious stones, as well as intricate carving techniques, was meant to impress visitors and showcase the king's wealth and control over resources. The script also notes the presence of motifs like the sphinx, which borrowed from Egyptian iconography, further indicating the cultural exchange and the Assyrian kings' ability to incorporate and adapt foreign symbols of power and authority into their own palaces' decorations.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Syrian Empire
💡Imperial luxury
💡Threshold pavement slab
💡Ivory carvings
💡Lion's head
💡Klaussen technique
💡Botanical motifs
💡Sphinx
💡Eye of Horus
💡Lush Gardens
💡Zoos
Highlights
The video discusses surviving objects from the Syrian Empire's Imperial palaces, offering insight into the luxury of the time.
Threshold pavement slabs, made of alabaster, were used as decorative carvings inside palace doorways, mimicking textile designs.
Palaces featured rugs and wall hangings for decoration, but these did not survive due to climate unsuitable for fiber preservation.
Alabaster plaques were painted and required upkeep, suggesting they were not merely economical substitutes for carpets.
Ivory carvings of lion's heads symbolized royalty and power, likely part of furniture pieces in the palace.
Ivory had to be imported, indicating the Assyrian Empire's extensive trade routes and power to acquire exotic materials.
Ivory carvings often featured numbering systems, akin to ancient assembly instructions for furniture construction.
Two distinct styles of Assyrian ivory carving are identified, one with deep carving and the other with inlaid woods.
The deep carving style likely involved artists with more contact with ancient Egypt, incorporating semi-precious stones.
The second style, possibly by local artists, avoided open work and instead used different colored woods and ivory inlays.
Both styles of carvings featured botanical motifs, reflecting the lush gardens surrounding the Assyrian palaces.
Lush gardens and zoos were symbolic of the king's authority over nature and the bounty of his empire.
An ivory plaque thought to be an eye blinker for a horse shows Egyptian influence and the symbol of the Eye of Horus.
The sphinx motif, borrowed from the Egyptians, represents royalty, power, authority, might, and human wisdom.
The sphinx is depicted wearing the crowns of Upper and Lower Egypt, indicating cultural exchange and influence.
The splendor of the Assyrian palaces was meant to overwhelm the senses, reflecting the power of the kings.
Transcripts
Syrian Empire Imperial luxury
so in this final video on the Syrian
Empire I wanted to focus on some objects
from the Imperial palaces that have
survived after their eventual looting so
when the Empire Falls as you might
imagine the incoming armies
destroyed large portions of the Assyrian
palaces but some objects survived and
they give us a really interesting view
into the luxury that that probably
um you know it was all over these spaces
so to begin our discussion the object on
the left is has been titled a threshold
pavement slab and what that means is
that this is obviously a low relief
decorative carving of alabaster
that was placed just inside the doorway
to a palace at the threshold
and um as you kind of can guess as
you're looking at it it has a motif a
design that in all probability was meant
to mimic a textile we know that the
Palaces themselves had rugs and wall
hangings made out of fiber all over the
place it was a form of decoration and
luxury but none of those objects have
survived the climate in this region just
wasn't suitable for preserving fibers
for that period of time and so we have
this really interesting surrogate if you
will it appears that you know instead of
placing a carpet in this particular
location
a carpet was kind of metaphorically
imprinted on this space made permanent
in this threshold space and on some
level that can sound you know practical
carpets will deteriorate over time
um but this uh particular plaque was
also painted and that would have
required you know upkeep over time so I
don't think that this
um this Stone impression of of a carpet
was really meant as any kind of
economical uh
device
um but it's a really kind of interesting
and playful way in which some forms of
luxury within the palace there was an
attempt to make them permanent and in a
way you know it worked because this is
what we have that survives
on the right here
um you can pretty easily see we have an
ivory carving of a lion's head
um and this is the first of several
Ivory carvings that I'm going to show
you this was a particular medium that
did survive over the centuries largely
because when the Palaces were looted
um for whatever reason Ivory carvings
many of them were thrown down a
particular well and so we have that that
cash that um body of material uh has
been left to us and so we can see this
this Ivory carving of a lion's head
we've seen Lions now many many times and
most recently in the video about the um
Assyrian wall plaques within the palace
we know that lions are associated with
royalty this whole idea of bringing a
lion under your power would have been
rhetorically potent for the Assyrian
Kings and probably this guy was some
component of a piece of furniture
in other instances you know through
through other images we know that
occasionally lions were
um the the face of a throne could be
carved into the form of a lion or two
lines sitting side by side so it's
possible that this was also part of the
base of a um
of a chair of some kind but we think
that it was definitely part of a piece
of furniture because
um that's what the majority of these
Ivory carvings that survive were they
actually have uh numbering systems on
them that appear to have been sort of
like you know the original version of
Ikea construction manuals in terms of
how to build Furniture
um which is pretty fascinating
but uh a couple of things here the the
symbolism of the lion would have again
been a sign of power and authority but
also the material so Ivory would not
have been locally accessible within the
Empire
um Ivory had to come from
um the North Western sections of of the
Empire and it came there via trade
routes that were connected to Egypt and
even farther below Egypt in Nubia
modern-day Sudan
so this Ivory would have come from
either an elephant tusk or a
hippopotamus tooth truthfully I have no
idea how big those are so maybe you can
get you can make this out of a
hippopotamus tooth I don't know
um but that kind of uh again materials
covering a long long long long distance
um was an indicator of of power
other examples of ivory carving as I
said also come from furniture and
they're sort of depending on who you ask
two to three styles of this Ivory
carving the style on the left here you
can see is featured
um this may or may not be obvious but it
has lots of deep carving so these are
griffins which are hybrid animals
combining Eagles and lions
and you can see in the wings that
there's really deep carving that in all
probability had semi-precious stones
placed in those recesses and this idea
of carving so that you can insert and
embed a stone is a technique called
Klausen a
so um this first style of Assyrian Ivory
carving
um there's a lot of that there's uh
Klausen a there's what we call open work
where lots of negative space has been
carved away and that appears to have
been
um a style made by artists trained
um
in communities that had more contact
with ancient Egypt
communities or artists that came from
communities that were quote unquote more
local or had a more a Syrian aesthetic
would create something like you're
looking at on the right here
um which is you know equally gorgeous
but it's it's just different they tended
to have they are not doing
um open work and they're not really
doing Klausen a in this case they are
doing inlays of different colors of wood
and ivory which is interesting but um
you know those are the two camps some
people say there's a third but we won't
get into that
nevertheless hopefully when you are
looking at both of these
um you are impressed by their
craftsmanship
um arguably their beauty but they also
both have a Botanical motifs so we have
our two Griffins here
um kind of gallivanting in some sort of
mythical Botanical Paradise we have
lotus flowers blooming and there's just
this this sense of like Lush vegetation
and that's also happening on our chair
back here with these kind of stylized
vines that are moving around
um so this was also something that was
referenced in the video this idea or
this fact rather that surrounding the
Assyrian palaces were Lush Gardens even
zoos with you know wild animals that are
there for display and both of these um
uh both of these things were really
meant again to reflect the the king's
authority over nature
um The Bounty that he could bring to his
Empire kind of symbolized in these Lush
Lush Gardens and then his authority over
the natural world in terms of owning and
quote taming these wild animals
um so rhetorically that is also brought
into the palace reminders of the King's
Empire and the the natural wealth
therein
um this uh in all probability was the
backing of a chair and this was some
kind of decorative uh appendage perhaps
to a table there's a hole that is
running along the back here uh which we
think a dowel went through
um and then perhaps was a kind of
decorative uh added to a table
and then last but not least there are a
variety of
um ivories that really explicitly show
this Egyptian influence
um the again there are dozens of them
but the ones I'm showing you over here
we have an ivory plaque excuse me that
we think was used as an eye blinker for
a horse
so you know sometimes if you watch
horses
um in sporting events they'll have kind
of blinders on to prevent them from uh
looking to the periphery this is
something along those lines we think
um and you may or may not recognize this
very stylized eye
um with a faux beard in this case a
human hand coming out and this stylized
eye with its its curlicue
um we will come to recognize as an
Egyptian symbol for the Eye of Horus if
the eye is facing left as in this case
it is this is the Eye of Horus if it's
facing right it's the god or excuse me
the eye of raw
um and both of these are are Egyptian
divinities Horus in this case is being
invoked as
um
a sign and a symbol of protection in
this context He Is A Healer protector
bringer of well-being and you can
imagine you know that is something that
one would want on your very valuable
horse being used for for Royal purposes
um but you know I think it's fascinating
that we have this as we say in art
history this iconography this symbolism
from a different civilization in
materials
um that are more native to that
Civilization making their way all the
way to Syria
finally over here we have
um a plaque and this hope maybe possibly
is recognizable to you as a sphinx we
have the body of a lion here
um this particular Sphinx is is winged
and then a human head so we have signs
of of royalty Power Authority might
strength and then human wisdom attached
um and also not coincidentally walking
through some more vegetation like we've
seen on the the other plaques but again
this Sphinx Motif is something that the
Assyrians will
um borrow from the Egyptians and in this
case it's will have an opportunity to
see a better example of this later on
but our Sphinx is even wearing the
crowns of Upper and Lower Egypt these
two sections of the eventual
um Egyptian Kingdom
so
um as I say you know when we we add in
this information about the ivories about
the semi-precious stones and nettles
that might have been used in klausene
work and our knowledge of
um tapestries as recorded through these
these Stone carvings hopefully that
gives us a little richer sense of just
the overwhelming Splendor that was
really key to the Assyrian palaces the
way that these palaces Were Meant to you
know just overwhelm the senses
um as a reflection of the power of the
Kings
5.0 / 5 (0 votes)