On great stone guardians...

A few short minutes before I log off to find some food:

We start the unit on Near Eastern Art in Art History tomorrow. While not my favorite period of art, I do have to admit a certain fondness for those sculptures known as "lamassus."

Lamassus are the Imperial Guardians and gatekeepers. They have the body of a lion, the head of a god (frequently with the horned helmet typical of deity imagery in this time and place), and spectacular wings. In a stunning bit of creative artistry, the sculptors of lamassus gave the creatures a total of five legs...in this way, when you look at the lamassu from the front, he appears to be standing still. If instead you look at the lamassu(s) from the side, he appears to be striding confidently and powerfully.

Ok, how totally darn cool is that? I love these guys. You know the movie "The Neverending Story"? The part with the Oracles always gave me the worst of nightmares, but there's something terribly profound in them and I get that same sense from these sturdy palace supports. (By the way, these cheery lads aren't in their natural environment in this image. They've obviously been relocated to a museum somewhere, though I'm not sure where. I know there is at least one exhibit of this sort at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York).

To keep the mood a bit lighter and less philosophical, please do check out the short story (very short...it really will only take you a couple of minutes to read) "Stray" at this website (it's this first story on the page): http://www.forteanbureau.com/aug2004/Schwartz/ It's really quite adorable...I want a lamassu(s) of my own!