Cylindrical box fragment with female figures
Unknown Artist
ca. 8th century BCE
Medium
Ivory
Dimensions
2.6 x 2.24 x 0.51 in. (6.6 x 5.69 x 1.3 cm)
Classification
Ivory/Bone-Vessels
Culture & Period
Assyrian · Neo-Assyrian
Department
Ancient Near Eastern Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1954
Accession Number
54.117.5
Tags
Art Historical Context
This delicate ivory fragment from a cylindrical box, dating to around the 8th century, offers a glimpse into the opulent world of the Neo-Assyrian Empire. Carved during the height of Assyrian power—when kings like Sargon II expanded their vast domain—this small piece (just 2.6 x 2.24 x 0.51 inches) adorned a luxury vessel for cosmetics, jewelry, or. The surface features graceful female figures, a common motif in Assyrian art symbolizing beauty, fertility, or divine attendants, evoking the refined tastes of palace elites. Ivory, a prized import from regions like India or Africa, was a status s...