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Relief with the head of a winged genius
Northwest Palace, Nimrud, Iraq
Neo-Assyrian period, reign of Ashurnasirpal II, 883–859 BCE
Gypsum; 64 x 61 cm
Inv. O.1934
Assyrian reliefs convey the taste for luxury
and pomp of the Mesopotamian kings who
reigned over the entire Near East in the early
1st millennium BCE. This relief, featuring a
winged genius, a fragment of a panel at least
2.3 metres tall, and the ‘standard inscription’
carved over it, were part of a ritual scene
frequently reproduced in the palace of
Ashurnasirpal II at Nimrud. The genius wears
a crown with horns, a traditional attribute of
a protective spirit who must defend the king
against demons and come to his aid to defeat
his enemies. All the details are carefully
rendered in conformity with Assyrian canon:
the divine headpiece, the curly long hair
and beard, the magnificent ear pendant and
the fringed garment. The high relief creates
interplays of light which distort the genius,
who becomes an imposing guardian of the
sovereign’s new residence. — E.G.
Kantharos, potted and painted by Douris
Athens, Greece
Classical period, about 490–480 BCE
Pottery; H. 18.2 cm
Inv. A.718
On this drinking vessel, the hero Heracles (recognizable by his
lion skin and club) and his companion Telamon are in combat
with Amazons – fierce women warriors. The fighting is intense,
and the heroes are threatened from all sides. The dramatic
composition accentuates their daring exploit. To either side of
Heracles’ head is a double signature: ‘Douris painted’ and ‘Douris
made’. A great master of Attic red-figure painting, the artist
demonstrates his skill with detail and his mastery of the refined
effects of dilute glaze, used mainly on the lion skin, to emphasize
the figure of Heracles. Found in Etruria, in the town of Cerveteri,
this elegant vessel of simple form – with its double signature,
unique in the work of Douris – is a rare object of exceptional
character. The unusual shape, associated with Heracles, and the
decoration suggest that the vase may have been dedicated in a
sanctuary of the hero. — N.M.
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Satyr teasing a panther
Rome, Italy
About 100–150 CE
(after a 2nd-cent. BCE original)
Marble; H. 137 cm
Inv. A.1143
After the Romans conquered the Greek world in the 2nd century BCE, they became
fascinated with Hellenic art and culture. The paintings, sculptures, gold and silver dishes,
intaglios and jewellery that were brought back with the spoils of victory and displayed
in triumphal processions celebrated in Rome aroused unprecedented passion. Since
not everyone could acquire an original Greek object, a thriving copying industry soon
came into existence. From the 1st century BCE on, many workshops made copies of large
Greek statues. This one, based on a creation of the Hellenistic period, was beautifully
sculpted three hundred years later. Although recomposed from dozens of fragments, it
is entirely antique. The satyr, with pointed ears and a goat’s tail, belongs to the retinue
of the wine god Bacchus. He is holding a hunting stick (lagobolon) and playing with a
panther. — C.E.
Drinking horn
Brussels (?), Belgium
Late 6th–early 7th cent. CE
Blown glass, glass paste applications; 20.3 x 37 cm
Inv. B005829-001
In the early Middle Ages, people were buried with various grave goods. This drinking
horn, acquired by the museum in 2010, is probably from the cemetery of Anderlecht,
where it was unearthed during early excavations. Its previous owner discovered it as
a child in the attic of his grandfather, a Brussels notary. A greenish yellow, heightened
with a net pattern and three rings, all bluish green, it is distinctive for its large size.
Related to similar net-decorated horns from Lombardy, it could nonetheless be a local
product. Intact ancient or medieval glass drinking horns are quite rare. — A.D.P.
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Portable altar
Abbey of Stavelot, Liège, Belgium
1160–1170
Wood, bronze, enamel, brown varnish, rock crystal; 10 x 27.5 x 17 cm
Inv. 1590
The portable altar of Stavelot is an unquestionable
masterpiece of medieval enamelwork. The execution of its
sumptuous champlevé decoration required as many
successive firings as there are colours, as each of the
metal pigments mixed with powdered glass reaches
its melting point at a different temperature.
It is the result of true technical prowess. The
iconographic programme, combining narration
and symbolism, is on a par with the quality
of execution; on the top, the story of Christ’s
Passion is depicted alongside Old Testament
episodes prefiguring the main episodes
of the Passion cycle. The sides recount the
martyrdom and death of the twelve Apostles.
The whole is completed by figures of the
Evangelists, a direct reference to the message of
salvation represented on the top and conveyed
in the Holy Scriptures. — S.B.
Tiled panel depicting a man fleeing
from lions – detail
Isfahan (?) (Iran)
17th cent.
Glazed pottery; 120 x 95 cm
Inv. IS.38
The Safavid shah Abbas the Great installed his
capital at Isfahan where he undertook a major building
programme. Colourful tile panels in cuerda seca technique,
often with narrative or moralizing themes, became a popular
decorative item. The scene depicted here was part of a larger narrative
panel. The story seems to have been taken from the Shahnameh, the
Persian national epic by the poet Ferdowsi. It illustrates an episode
in which a young rider who had foolishly hung his weapons in a
plane tree to sit and enjoy wine at its foot is left with no option but
to climb the tree to escape a pair of lions. The narrative style is in
keeping with that of Safavid miniatures. Animals and plants typically
fill the landscape and the rendering of the clouds reflects a Chinese
influence. — B.O.
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‘Mysterious Sphinx’, Charles Van der Stappen
Brussels, Belgium
1897
Ivory, silver; H. 56.5 cm
Inv. Sc.73
The ‘Mysterious Sphinx’, sculptor Charles Van der Stappen’s best-known
work, is considered a quintessential example of Symbolist and art nouveau
sculpture. It was created for the Hall of Honour at the Colonial Exposition in
Tervuren in 1897, where it was displayed on an onyx base set on a pedestal
designed by Henry van de Velde. The ivory and silver sculpture is a shoulderlength portrayal of a young woman holding her right hand to her lips in a
mysterious gesture. Her helmet is surmounted by an eagle, a reference to
war and victory. On the other hand, her armour is decorated with poppies,
symbolizing sleep. The serpent around her wrist represents death. Alluring
beauty combines with the intoxicating destructiveness of the femme fatale,
a central figure in the fin de siècle – a period characterized by a tension
between confidence in and fear of the future, often with overtones of
decadence. — W.A.
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Stele
Chiapas, Mexico
Early Classic Maya, 593 CE
Calcareous limestone; 250 x 75 cm
Inv. AAM.66.34
This architectural upright, probably discovered at Lacanja (Chiapas), is from
an entrance to the palace. The relief panel depicts a Maya governor with all his
attributes, including a very elaborate headdress with large feathers rising from
it. The young sovereign is shown in war gear, in keeping with the tradition of
the region. The inscription in Maya hieroglyphs above and in front of the figure
states that he was twenty-two years old on 10 August 593 CE. It also says that
he succeeded his father, no doubt specifying his ancestry in order to ensure his
legitimacy. Beyond the fine quality of the carving, the main interest of this piece
resides in the accompanying text, which gives us a tiny glimpse of political life in
this important civilization. — S.L.
Offering bearer
North Coast, Peru
Chimú culture, 1200–1470 CE
Wood; H. 55 cm
Inv. AAM 5713
On his way to join an expedition bound for Easter Island, museum curator Henri
Lavachery passed through Lima in July 1934. He visited pre- Columbian sites and
purchased some artefacts, among them this statuette. Exhibited at the museum for
the first time in 1935, it intrigued a famous visitor, the author Hergé, who worked it
into one of the ‘Adventures of Tintin’: The Broken Ear. But the original object – which
has a broken foot, not an ear – was sculpted by the Chimú rather than by Hergé’s
hypothetical Arumbayas. Dated between the 13th and 15th centuries CE, it represents
a litter carrier. Excavations carried out at the Huaca de la Luna, near Moche, uncovered
wooden ‘models’ illustrating various ceremonies. For a burial, similar statuettes bore
the litter where the deceased lay, while others brought various offerings. — S.L.
Cloak, called the ‘Mantle of Montezuma’, Tupinamba ethnic
group
Atlantic Coast, Brazil
Before 17th cent.
Feathers, plant fibre; 200 x 180 cm
Inv. AAM.5783
This masterpiece is first mentioned in a manuscript written before 1780, where it
is ascribed to Montezuma, the Aztec emperor in power when the Spaniards arrived
in the early 16th century. The cloak was therefore attributed to a Mexican culture until
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the late 1920s, when a scholar by the name of Hirtel put forth the idea that the technique
of fabrication could only be attributed to Amerindians of Brazil or Guyana. In 1939, this
hypothesis was corroborated by Calberg, whose research showed that the technique of
attaching feathers to a string was widespread on the Atlantic coast of Brazil. Other cloaks
of this type are known in European collections (Paris, Florence, Frankfurt, Basle, Berlin and
Copenhagen), but the Brussels example is longer and better preserved with regard to
both the number of feathers and the freshness of its colours. — S.L.
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1. Relief with the head of a winged genius
2. Kantharos, potted and painted by Douris
3. Satyr teasing a panther
4. Drinking horn
5. Portable altar
6. Tiled panel depicting a man fleeing from lions – detail
7. ‘Mysterious Sphinx’, Charles Van der Stappen
8. Stele, Chiapas (Mexico)
9. Offering bearer
10.Cloak, called the ‘Mantle of Montezuma’, Tupinamba ethnic group
Colophon
Text: Royal Museums of Art and History
EN: Liam O’Sullivan
Layout: Walter Leclercq
© Brussels Museums - 2016
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