|
Chlorite is a distinctive gray-green stone that
was
utilized during antiquity for the fabrication of
luxurious containers in the greater Gulf region as
well as southern Iran. Excavations at the
archeological site of Tepe Yaya, dated to the
mid-third millennium B.C., in Iran unearthed the
ruins
of workshops where such vessels were
discovered. As
well, raw materials used for their manufacture,
chlorite as well as steatite, quarried from the
nearby
hills were also present. On the island of Tarut, in
the Gulf close to the Arabian coast, over six
hundred
complete and fragmentary vessels and weights
have been
unearthed. Because many partially formed objects
found
on Tarut were discovered next to chunks of
unworked
chlorite, it has been surmised that this island
was
once a center of production for these works.
Found throughout the ancient Near East, from
Syria to
the Indus Valley, revealing the extensive trade
routes
of the time, these works are classified by modern
historians as belonging to the “Intercultural
Style,”
called so because they derive iconographical
elements
from both Near Eastern and Harappan traditions.
Much
like the written cuneiform alphabet was used by
several distinct cultures throughout the ancient
Near
East to dictate their individual spoken languages,
so
such vessels were created by various cultures,
each
adorning the works with their own distinct
aesthetic
style. Many examples were discovered in the
ruins of
palace and temple structures or entombed in the
graves
of the nobility, including Sumerian Mesopotamia.
Clearly these vessels were among the most
precious
luxury items that could only be afforded by the
ruling
elite.
The decorative scheme of this chlorite vessel has
been
divided into two bands. The vessel is conical in
form, tapering from its base to the neck, where it
begins to flare outwards into the wide-mouthed
rim.
Both bands along the body feature the same
motif of a
big cat battling a serpent carved in low relief. The
spots on the animals’ bodies have been inlaid
with
white shell, some of which remain intact. The
leopard
grasps the body of the snake in its powerful
claws and
the two beast confront each other face to face.
Their
eyes are wide open, their mouths ajar,
respectively
hissing and roaring in a show of beastly might.
While
scenes of snakes battling with lions or eagles are
a
common motif of “Intercultural Style” works,
discovered throughout Mesopotamia and at
temple sites
in Syria, we have little idea of the meaning of this
mysterious iconography.
- (LO.626)
|
