I am Ashurbanipal: king of the world, king of Assyria - British Museum

 "King Ashurbanipal of Assyria (r. 669–c. 631 BC) was the most powerful man on earth. He described himself in inscriptions as ‘king of the world’, and his reign from the city of Nineveh (now in northern Iraq) marked the high point of the Assyrian empire, which stretched from the shores of the eastern Mediterranean to the mountains of western Iran."

Is the way the British Museum introduces it's exhibition about Ashurbanipal. I thought it looked interesting when I first saw it advertised, and although it has been running since November, didn't make it until last weekend, which was a week before it closes.Which may be why it was so busy, both the museum as a whole, and the exhibition. Indeed, outside there were queues down the street and round the corner! 

However, once in, I enjoyed the exhibition. Quite a lot of what is in the exhibition is from the museum's own collection although there are other items as well, and it's all been brought together and arranged more or less chronologically, based on the life and reign of King Ashurbanipal.   

Guardian Spirit

We start with guardian spirits, Lion headed men, with eagles feet (which seems a little ungainly, but they're not my supernatural beings)

There are lots of big, stone reliefs, depicting scenes from Assyrian (Court) life, and from the life and reign of King Ashurbanipal. 

King Ashurbainpal catching a lion by the tail

This included a large frieze, depicting a royal lion hunt, including lions being released from cages, and the king grabbing one by the tail!  

Battle Scene

There are also lots of battle scenes, including one with some rather nice camels, and a less pleasant one with scenes of the Assyrians stacking, and cataloguing bows, quivers,and severed heads . . . 

 There were also, as well as the various friezes, other artefacts - little sections of painted wall, the remains of pieces of furniture,   and ceramics.

Painted plaster

The exhibition had a small section relating to cultural cross overs between the Assyrians ad other societies such as the Greeks and Etruscans, and the Egyptians.  

There were, of course, also lots of writings.  King Ashurbanipal created a huge library, and as the Assyrians used clay tablets, when the library was destroyed by fire, these were baked, and  survived, where the papyrus and wax documents which were also common were destroyed.    

Letter and Envelope 

Ashurbanipal ruled  a huge empires, and his civil service (made up mainly  of eunuchs, as the previous system of hereditary posts resulted in  coup attempts as family loyalty and ambition , and the eunuchs would, by definition, not have children and therefore be more likely to stay loyal to the king), developed a postal system, so that messages could be moved quickly though the empire. 

They were sent in clay envelopes, and sealed with a stamp, the seals used to  stamp the 'envelope'  were issued only to the King's  magnates, and meant that the letter would be carried by relays of fast couriers to ensure they travelled quickly, and were accepted as authentic.

Finally,the museum had added some exhibits showing the timeline of cultural and archaeological history - starting with the Biblical depictions of the Assyrians, the Victorians  who excavated the sites, and  modern developments, including the destruction wreaked by ISIS / Daesh , and, more positively, the work and  training of Iraqi conservators trying to repair some of the damage, and preserve war-damaged sites. 

The exhibition as a whole was very interesting,I was glad I'd managed to catch it! It has now finished, but it is worth visiting the museum's Assyrian galleries to see many of the friezes and tablets once they are back in their usual place.