Behind the Cultic Statue: The Materiality of Religion in Ancient Mesopotamia

Production of images, more precisely of statues, is an ancient and common activity in Mesopotamia since the earliest periods. The archaeological evidence is scant, but cuneiform texts refer directly to statues or indirectly to materials, artisans, and actions related to––and made around––statues. The statues do not properly reflect the need to represent divine and human figures: at the same time, they cannot be considered decorative elements of closed and open spaces, as the statue is not the result of a series of aesthetic choices and solutions intended to attract viewers in admiration of a beautiful masterpiece. Statues were not created to be seen from a distance, untouchable; ancient Mesopotamian temples, where the majority (if not all) of the statues were placed, cannot be compared to museums where items, objects, and images are displayed at a safe distance from visitors.