Furniture plaque carved in high relief with two Egyptianizing figures flanking a volute tree

Art Historical Context

This exquisite ivory plaque, carved in high relief during the Neo-Assyrian (ca. 9th–8th century BCE), once adorned elite furniture in the palaces of ancient Assyria, a mighty empire spanning modern-day Iraq and beyond. Measuring just under 5 inches tall, it depicts two stylized male figures—often interpreted as protective genies or attendants—in an "Egyptianizing" pose, striding forward with one arm raised, flanking a sacred volute tree. The tree's swirling spiral branches evoke the stylized "Tree of Life" motif central to Assyrian art, symbolizing fertility, divinity, and the cosmic order. C...