Seated statue of Gudea, prince
of Lagash
Tello, ancient Girsu
Neo-Sumerian period (c. 2125-2110 BC)
Diorite
H 45 cm
AO 3293
Description
"After the fall of the empire of Agade, Gudea, prince of Lagash,
inaugurated a renaissance of Sumer, marked both by literary
blossoming, corresponding to Sumerian classisism, and by an art of
the court which exalted an ideal of serene piety and, one could
almost say, of humanism. The independent prince, who never however
carried a royal title, wears the pseudo-turban headdress, insignia
of sovereignty. About twenty statues have been attributed to this
prince. They were placed in the temples that the prince had built.
They were destined to continue his prayerful presence. The
expression of confident piety is characteristic of the humanistic
ideal which animated the Neo-Sumerian princes, at the end of the 3rd
millenium."
- Louvre