Page 211 - The Art & Architecture of the Ancient Orient_Neat

PART TWO: THE PERIPHERAL
REGIONS

Figure 87. Three guardian lions From gates at Zingirli

exists in the treatment of common subjects on the reliefs. Plate 159c comes from Tell
Halaf and belongs to the ninth century; figure 88 shows how a theme was Assyrianized
at Carchemish in the eighth century b.c. Note that not only the appearance of the figures
but also their execution is very much better than in the older example. At Zinprli there
are a few commemorative reliefs in die new style (which we shall discuss presendy), but
not a series of decorative orthostats which could be compared with the older set at the
south gate of the Citadel (Figure 83). For such a comparison we must go to Carchemish.
Carchemish was never taken by the Aramaeans, and was more intimately comiectcd
with the imperial Hittite past than any of the other cities. The subject-matter ofits reliefs
shows traces of this continuity. The contrast is well illustrated by a relief found at the

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Figure 88. Reliefs, from Carchemish
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