Nov 1, 2022
Foundation figure of King Ur-Namma (Neo-Sumerian, Ur III period, reign of Ur-Namma, 2112–2094 BCE)
Inscribed in Sumerian: “Ur-Namma, King of Ur, King of Sumer and Akkad, who built the temple of Enlil”. These kind of statues were never meant for our eyes. Interred in the foundations of temples, the copper alloy miniature kings and horned deities, now worn into patinas of emerald-green and reddish-brown, were a hidden tribute to the gods. After the surrounding architecture crumbled, the tiny figures remained buried, until centuries later when archaeologists rediscovered these rare forms of ancient portraiture. Copper alloy. Morgan Library & Museum in Manhattan.