hind mohamed 200812115
TRANSCRIPT
Hind Al-Hamed 200816115 Mesopotamian jewelry
Research paper on
Mesopotamian jewelry
Art – 319 Zayed University
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The history of western costume and jewelry it self- begins in Mesopotamia. Numerous city-states
flourished along the Tigris and Euphrates rivers and their tributaries. Sometimes these city-states were
self-governing; sometimes they were organized into an empire by one dominant city. People in these
cities created the earliest civilization by developing writing, organizing businesses, initiating scientific
and religious inquiry, and codifying laws. Sumerians, Acadians. Babylonians, Assyrians and Persians,
among others, established empires centered in Mesopotamia. Some civilization that once flourished in
Mesopotamia left behind abundant remains that show
how they dressed and adorned themselves with
jewelries. These remains prove that the Mesopotamian
civilization lived form 3500 BCE till 300 BCE. For
other civilizations, only too few art objects survived to
document their costume. Part of the reasons that prevented the survival of such art objects is because of
the natural disasters and the constant warfare that plagued Mesopotamia during the first millennia of
recorded history. Catastrophic floods ravaged the region as recorded in the Mesopotamian famous war
Epic of Gilgamesh and the story of Noah in Genesis. Floods also ruined the archaeological soil strata.
Political life at that time could be another reason. The cities sought for their independence and control
by either destroying or absorbing the cultures of those who had preceded them in power. Despite the
ruin caused by warfare, floods and political conflicts, a wide variety of artifacts remains that shows how
people adorned themselves with jewelries and accessories thousands of years ago. Because actual fabrics
of ancient Mesopotamia have not been found, only the surface designs and trims can be studied in
sculpture. Literary and visual records suggest extensive use of wool, fabrics, as well as some linen.
Mesopotamian used gold semiprecious stones formed rings, necklaces, bracelets, earrings and coronets,
all with plant, animal or human motifs such as cuttlefish and starfish and insects such as butterflies and
bees. People from all of these civilizations wore rich jewelry; archaeologists have retrieved hoards of
jewelry from mostly graves or crumbling buildings.
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In this research paper I will introduce some of the Mesopotamian jewelry pieces and I will give
my opinion on each of them.
One of the most spectacular archaeological finds in the Near East was the discovery, beginning
in 1988, of more than a thousand pieces of gold jewelry weighing more than 125 pounds; they were
found in three Assyrian royal tombs at Nimrud. Much of the information about Mesopotamian jewelry
comes from the royal graves of Ur. In one grave archaeologists found the body of queen named Pu Abi.
When the queen died the favorite servants, who could serve her in the afterlife, accompanied her to her
tomb. The tomb was filled with all the things the queen need for the afterlife. In the tomb there were the
skeletons of the queen and her servants wearing a fortune in jewelry including gold earrings, pins,
necklaces, bracelets, armbands, ankle bracelets, rings and headdresses.
Headdress: it was made from coils of gold ribbons topped with
gold leaves, flowers and semiprecious stone. It was decorated with lapis
lazuli and carnelian and with three rows of sheet
gold leaves. Crowning the headdress was a tall
comb of gold ending in seven rosettes.
Pair of bracelets: Reveals inlays of tiger’s-eye, turquoise,
malachite, and lapis lazuli. It was set with precious agate-stone and inlaid
with enamel. Gold winged genies hold buckets and pinecones.
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Gold crown: 3.5 inch-wide appliqued with three rows of
rosettes, was made for a child.
Gold necklace: with 28 pendants, with clasp of intertwined
animal heads.
Gold earrings: formed by cones dangling from half-moons.
The royal diadem: one inch wide with plaits of
flexible gold mesh, woven in herringbone pattern and set
with precious stones, the losse fringed 10 inch length would
have fallen ribbon like down the back of the head.
Granulated Gold earrings: frames an exquisite palm tree
mosaic of semiprecious stones set in lapis lazuli. Perhaps
symbolizing the sacred tree often depicted in Mesopotamian art.
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In the tomb of Ur there is also Gold hair –rings
engraved fastener and finger-ring with lapis lazuli inlay as
well as amulets worn by the queen Pu abi.
Gold necklace was reconstructed from more than 200
pieces. Its seven pendants represent deities: the crescent moon
stands for Sin, the moon good and the rayed disk figurines
depict the protective goddess Lama, and the forked lightning
represents Adad, the storm god.
A golden necklace: the decoration on
the disks was made with tiny gold
granules and the three-section band
was made by “coiling”.
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Gold pin. Probably used to hold Pu-abi's hair at the back of her head.
Gold pin. Probably used to hold Pu-abi's hair at the
back of her head.
The third bead pendant used to hold Pu-abi's cylinder seals: The bottom amulet would have held a shaft that went through the cylinder seal. The amulet would have served as a handle when rotating the cylinder seal across a damp clay tablet, like the cylinder seal and handle.
Gold headband. It wasn't found in a royal tomb, but in a simple burial (PG 153) of a single body.
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A testament to the astonishing reach of early Assyria’s trading caravans, the
magnificent necklaces below are imported from distant areas.
This necklace includes blue cylinders of lapis lazuli imported from
Afghanistan and the orange carnelian beads from India.
The blue semiprecious stone was minded in Afghanistan.
The long brown carnelian beads were imported.
Diaderm of gold , carnelian and lapis lazuli, worn by a child.
Beads and pendants of gold, carnelian and lapis lazuli.
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Jewelries of the royal families:
The helmet on the tomb of Kind Meskalamdug: was
made of electrum (alloy of gold and silver) by hammering from
the inside, with the details added later. The finely fashioned hair
is held in place by a diadem suggesting a royal owner.
Golden pectoral: it came from one of the intact tombs. It
is decorated with the images og the Egyptian hawk-god Horus
but details show that it was made locally. Width 20.5 cm.
Gold roundel of a winged lion griffon with four loops on the
back. Garments with gold decorations sewn on them were worn by the
Mesopotamian kings and by the statues of gods.
Golden bracelet: the hollow spaced would have contained
inlays of glass or semiprecious stones; Width 11.5 cm.
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The base of the hammered electrum tumbler from Puabi's death pit
features a decorative eight-petal rosette surrounded by a series of arcs or
concentric circles.
The pan-Mesopotamian rosette is a symbol connected to the Tree of Life,
and is connected to the Sun god Shamash. The standard Sumerian rosette design
has only eight spoke-like leaves.
Assyrian Tree of Life (Sacred Tree) Necklace and Assyrian
Flower Broche (Silver).
Babylonian necklace. It was made 1,000 years
after the Royal Tombs. Note how the swirl patterns and
the shape of the gold beads continue the Sumerian
tradition of jewelry.
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Bracelets: The initial instances of jewelry bracelets were discovered with the Sumerians of
Mesopotamia where the females used the bracelets to broadcast the money of their partners. Sumerian
ring and coil money. The silver was cut to length as needed.
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To sum up, by about 4,000 years ago, jewelry making had become a significant craft in the
Mesopotamian cities of Sumer and Akkad, in what is now Iraq. Until this day there are brands and
designers are inspired by the Mesopotamian jewelry designs.
Yossi Harari: Yossi Harari's work harkens back to the
jeweler of ancient Anatolia and Mesopotamia, but with an added
contemporary flare. Yossi also operates a jewelry gallery in Tel
Aviv. http://yossiharari.com/
Pandora: is another jewelry company, which produces
mainly beads bracelets and necklaces, inspired by the
Mesopotamian designs. http://www.pandora.net/
My Babylonia The crafted pieces convey expression
and emotion through signs and symbols. Company
BABYLONIA handmade silver jewelry is an infusion of the
ancient elegance and modern rawness of Babylonia.
http://www.mybabylonia.com
Aykat Telkari handcrafting is an art that has been
implemented in the Mesopotamian plain since 3000
BC. Products are finish with cleaning and
polishing.. http://aykatkuyumculuk.com/Anasayfa/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QlFvADsPGvI&feature=related
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Example of appropriating from
Mesopotamian jewelry: