Statue of Gudea

myminifactory

The Akkadian Empire met its demise after two centuries of rule, and during the next fifty years, local kings ruled independent city-states in southern Mesopotamia with their own distinct styles. The city-state of Lagash produced an impressive number of statues of its kings as well as Sumerian literary hymns and prayers under the rule of Gudea (ca. 2150–2125 B.C.) and his son Ur-Ningirsu (ca. 2125–2100 B.C.). Unlike the art of the Akkadian period, which was characterized by dynamic naturalism, the works produced by this Neo-Sumerian culture are marked by a sense of pious reserve and serenity. This sculpture belongs to a series of diorite statues commissioned by Gudea, who dedicated his time to rebuilding the great temples of Lagash and installing statues of himself in them. Many were inscribed with his name and divine dedications, surviving for centuries. Here, Gudea is depicted in the seated pose of a ruler before his subjects, his hands folded in a traditional gesture of greeting and prayer. The Sumerian inscription on his robe reads as follows: When Ningirsu, the mighty warrior of Enlil, had established a courtyard in the city for Ningišzida, son of Ninazu, the beloved one among the gods; when he had established irrigated plots(?) on the agricultural land; (and) when Gudea, ruler of Lagaš, the straightforward one, beloved by his personal god, had built the Eninnu, the White Thunderbird, and the..., his 'heptagon,' for Ningirsu, his lord, (then) for Nanše, the powerful lady, his lady, did he build the Sirara House, her mountain rising out of the waters. He also built individual houses of great gods of Lagaš. For Ningišzida, his personal god, he built the House of Girsu. Someone in the future whom Ningirsu, his god - as my god addressed me - has directly addressed within the crowd, let him not be envious(?) with regard to the house of my personal god. Let him invoke its name; let such a person be my friend, and let him also invoke my own name. (Gudea) fashioned a statue of himself. "Let the life of Gudea, who built the house, be long." - this is how he named it for his sake, and he brought it to him into his house. This translation is derived from Edzard, Dietz-Otto. 1997. Gudea and His Dynasty. The Royal Inscriptions of Mesopotamia, Early Periods Volume 3/1. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, pp. 57-58.