aodwise .from top right;
Great Lyre Jr' om the
"King's Grave"• Gold,
silver, lapis lazuli, shell,
bitumen and wood. The
panel below the imposing
butts visage (lipids ani-
mals performing hitmwn
tasks in preparation for
fimeral banquet.
Tumbler: Made of
electrum, • a light-yellow
alloy of gold and silver;
this piece was finely
hammered inside and out
andAttalla° 28 ridges.
"Rain Caught in a °
Thicket": Gold,- silver,
lapis lazuli, copper; shell,
red limestone and
bitumin. The intricacy'
of detail, including the
rams shell carapace, the
tree's gold branches
sprouting rosettes of gold
and te h mosaic the base is
without peer in the exhibit.
Puabi's spectacular
headdress consists
of bands of gold
ribbons connected to
interlocking gold rings,
gold leaf clusters and
rosettes of lapis lazuli
and carnelian.

String of Beads: Gold,
etched carnelian and
lapis lazuli.

Center: Wreath: Gold,
lapis lazuli and carnelian.

FOOTSTEPS

from page 51

Ur was the most important city-state in the
region. Kings and queens were laid to rest in a royal
cemetery outside a temple complex dedicated to the
moon god, Nanna. This cemetery yielded the most
spectacular remains of the period.
The idea that "you can't take it with you" would
have been lost on Ur's elite; they were buried with
many objects of wealth, including jewelry, drinking
vessels and musical instruments. These were intend-
ed as gifts to the gods of the underworld.
The exhibit begins with an informational gallery,
including a map of Ur and Sumer, historical back-
ground and a description of the tombs and excava-
tion conducted by Woolley and his wife.
The nearly 200 objects on display in the adjacent
galleries reflect the sophisticated craftsmanship of .
Sumerian artists, the importance of trade and the
wealth of luxury items surrounding the queen and
her court, and the emphasis on the afterlife.

Fit For A King

The art of the royal tombs was linked to nature,
symbolized by one of the most famous objects from

Fran Heller is a Cleveland-based freelance writer.

the cemetery, Ram Caught in a Thicket. A rearing
male goat rests his front legs on a flowering tree. In
this work, as in others, the fecund animal and plant
worlds are inextricably connected.
The intricacy of detail, including the ram's shell
carapace, the tree's gold branches sprouting rosettes
of gold and the mosaic tile base is without peer in
the exhibit. The gold of the tree and the blue lapis
lazuli of the ram's horns and beard also emphasize
the importance of color in the art.
What is equally extraordinary is that these pre-
cious materials were not native to the region, indi-
cating the existence of a thriving trade culture.
The object derived its nickname from the biblical story
of the binding of Isaac, when God instructed Abraham to
sacrifice a ram in place of his son.
Many musical instruments accompanied the dead,
including pipes, drums, cymbals, harps and lyres.
The Great Lyre from the "King's Grave" is another
of the royal cemetery's most celebrated finds.
The lyre's frontispiece includes a bull's head whose
prominent gold horns are tipped in lapis lazuli. The
bull's curly hair and beard is composed of individually
formed tendrils of lapis lazuli.
The panel below the imposing bull's visage depicts

animals performing human tasks in preparation for a
funeral banquet. A hyena functions as a butcher
while a lion carries the drinks. Recorded music re-
creates the music of the era.
The figure of a lion was of primary importance in
Sumerian art. The Silver Head of a Lion from Puabi's
tomb is an amazing likeness, including the animal's
taupe skin, yolk-colored eye sockets and icy stare.
The lion would have been situated at the entrance to
the queen's tomb to ward off evil powers.

A Queen And Her Court

The section on Puabi and objects from her tomb
epitomizes the pampered life of its royal subjects.
The culture was consumed with exotic luxuries and
conspicuous displays of wealth and power. Beads,
combs, pins, chokers, capes, rings and pendants were
all fashioned from gold, lapis lazuli, carnelian, agate,
marble, chalcedony and shell.
Puabi's spectacular headdress consists of bands of
gold ribbons connected to interlocking gold rings, gold
leaf clusters and rosettes of lapis lazuli and carnelian.
Dressed for the underworld, Puabi "wore" a gold head-
dress; a gold-and- lapis choker; a neck-to-waist beaded
cape; a belt of gold, lapis and carnelian; and gold pins and