Ancient Near Eastern Art

The Metropolitan Museum of Art · 5,760 artworks

The collection spans the cultures of the ancient Near East from the Neolithic period through the Arab conquest in 651 AD. Highlights include Assyrian stone reliefs, Sumerian statuary, and objects from Mesopotamia, Iran, Anatolia, and the ancient Levant.

Featured Artworks

Textile fragment: walking ram with a neckband and fluttering ribbons

Textile fragment: walking ram with a neckband and fluttering ribbons

ca. 7th century CE

Sword and scabbard

Sword and scabbard

ca. 7th century CE

Plate with a hunting scene from the tale of Bahram Gur and Azadeh

Plate with a hunting scene from the tale of Bahram Gur and Azadeh

ca. 5th century CE

Panel with the god Zeus/Serapis/Ohrmazd and worshiper

Panel with the god Zeus/Serapis/Ohrmazd and worshiper

ca. 3rd century CE

Belt adornment with an eagle and its prey

Belt adornment with an eagle and its prey

ca.1st–2nd century CE

Standing man

Standing man

ca. 2nd century CE

Funerary relief

Funerary relief

ca. 2nd–3rd century CE

Door lintel with lion-griffins and vase with lotus leaf

Door lintel with lion-griffins and vase with lotus leaf

ca. 2nd–early 3rd century CE

Belt clasp

Belt clasp

ca. 1st–2nd century CE

Spout in the form of a man's head

Spout in the form of a man's head

ca. 1st–2nd century CE

Rhyton terminating in the forepart of a wild cat

Rhyton terminating in the forepart of a wild cat

ca. 1st century BCE

Figure of a reclining woman

Figure of a reclining woman

ca. 2nd century BCE–2nd century CE

Relief: two servants bearing food and drink

Relief: two servants bearing food and drink

ca. 358–338 BCE

Beaker with birds and animals

Beaker with birds and animals

ca. 4th century BCE

Vessel terminating in the forepart of a fantastic leonine creature

Vessel terminating in the forepart of a fantastic leonine creature

ca. 5th century BCE

Plaque with horned lion-griffins

Plaque with horned lion-griffins

ca. 6th–4th century BCE

Incense burner

Incense burner

ca. mid-1st millennium BCE

Panel with striding lion

Panel with striding lion

ca. 604–562 BCE

Figure of a man with an oryx, a monkey, and a leopard skin

Figure of a man with an oryx, a monkey, and a leopard skin

ca. 8th century BCE

Medallion with a seated deity and a male worshiper

Medallion with a seated deity and a male worshiper

ca. 8th–7th century BCE

Human-headed winged bull (lamassu)

Human-headed winged bull (lamassu)

ca. 883–859 BCE

Furniture plaque carved in relief with a “woman at the window”

Furniture plaque carved in relief with a “woman at the window”

ca. 9th–8th century BCE

Furniture element carved in the round with the head of a roaring lion

Furniture element carved in the round with the head of a roaring lion

ca. 9th–8th century BCE

Openwork furniture plaque with two sphinxes

Openwork furniture plaque with two sphinxes

ca. 9th–8th century BC

Openwork furniture plaque with a grazing oryx in a forest of fronds

Openwork furniture plaque with a grazing oryx in a forest of fronds

ca. 9th–8th century BCE

Statuette of a female

Statuette of a female

ca. early 1st millennium BCE

Orthostat relief: lion-hunt scene

Orthostat relief: lion-hunt scene

ca. 10th−9th century BCE

Sickle sword

Sickle sword

ca. 1307–1275 BCE

Seated goddess with a child

Seated goddess with a child

ca. 14th–13th century BCE

Enthroned deity

Enthroned deity

ca. 14th–13th century BCE

Helmet with divine figures beneath a bird with outstretched wings

Helmet with divine figures beneath a bird with outstretched wings

ca. 1500–1100 BCE

Royal or divine figure with high conical headdress

Royal or divine figure with high conical headdress

ca. 18th–17th century BCE

Furniture support: female sphinx with Hathor-style curls

Furniture support: female sphinx with Hathor-style curls

ca. 18th century BCE

Cult vessel in the form of a tower with cylinder seal impressions near the top

Cult vessel in the form of a tower with cylinder seal impressions near the top

ca. 19th century BCE

Weight in shape of frog

Weight in shape of frog

ca. 2000–1600 BCE

Statue of Gudea, named “Gudea, the man who built the temple, may his life be long”

Statue of Gudea, named “Gudea, the man who built the temple, may his life be long”

ca. 2090 BCE

Foundation peg in the form of the forepart of a lion

Foundation peg in the form of the forepart of a lion

ca. 2200–2100 BCE

Shaft-hole axe head with bird-headed demon, boar, and dragon

Shaft-hole axe head with bird-headed demon, boar, and dragon

ca. late 3rd–early 2nd millennium BCE

Beaker with birds on the rim

Beaker with birds on the rim

ca. late 3rd–early 2nd millennium BCE

Cylinder seal and modern impression: hunting scene

Cylinder seal and modern impression: hunting scene

ca. 2250–2150 BCE

Seated female

Seated female

ca. late 3rd–early 2nd millennium BCE

Head of a ruler

Head of a ruler

ca. 2300–2000 BCE

Headdress

Headdress

ca. 2600–2500 BCE

Reclining mouflon

Reclining mouflon

ca. 2600–1900 BCE

Vase with overlapping pattern and three bands of palm trees

Vase with overlapping pattern and three bands of palm trees

ca. mid- to late 3rd millennium BCE

Standing male worshiper

Standing male worshiper

ca. 2900–2600 BCE

Stele of Ushumgal and Shara-igizi-Abzu

Stele of Ushumgal and Shara-igizi-Abzu

2900–2700 BCE

Striding figure with ibex horns, a raptor skin draped around the shoulders, and upturned boots

Striding figure with ibex horns, a raptor skin draped around the shoulders, and upturned boots

ca. 3000 BCE

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