Book Launch for:

Ivories from Nimrud (1949-1963) VII, 1 & 2 Ivories from Rooms SW11/12
and T10 Fort Shalmaneser
by Georgina Herrmann and Stuart Laidlaw

Organised by The British Institute for the Study of Iraq (Gertrude
Bell Memorial)
Date: Thursday, May 30, 2013, 6.00pm
Location: The British Academy, 10 Carlton House Terrace, London, SW1Y 5AH

Join us to celebrate the publication of Ivories from Nimrud
(1949-1963) VII, 1 & 2 Ivories from Rooms SW11/12 and T10 Fort
Shalmaneser by Georgina Herrmann and Stuart Laidlaw. There will be a
short talk by the authors and copies of the book on sale at a special,
one-off price of £60 (a 1/3 off the normal retail price).

About Ivories from Nimrud VII - The Lost Art of the Phoenicians

Fifty years have passed since the British School of Archaeology in
Iraq raised the last ivory from the soil of Fort Shalmaneser.
Literally thousands were found, many of which have already been
published in Ivories from Nimrud I-V, while VI recorded the
outstanding pieces from the North West Palace. Ivories from Nimrud
VII, Ivories from Rooms SW11/12 and T10 completes the publication of
the assemblages in the Fort, as far as records permit. The ivories of
Room SW11/12 are similar in character to those of Room SW37 and
probably represent another consignment of booty, while those of T10 in
the Throne Room block include pieces from all four traditions, as well
as some entirely new ones.

With the primary publication completed, it is now possible to look at
these remarkable ivories as a whole rather than studying them by
prov­enance, as is discussed in detail in the Commentary. Not
surprisingly, it immediately becomes apparent that the majority can be
assigned to the Phoenician tradition. There are at least twice as many
Phoenician ivo­ries than the other Levantine and Assyrian ivories.
They form therefore an incredible archive, recording the lost art of
the Phoenicians, long famed as master craftsmen.

The Phoenician ivories can be divided into two; the finest, the
Clas­sic Phoenician, often embellished with delicate, jewel-like
inlays, and the other examples still clearly Phoenician in style and
subject. While the Classic pieces were probably carved in a single
centre, possibly Tyre or Sidon, the others would have been carved in a
variety of dif­ferent Phoenician centres, located along the
Mediterranean seaboard.

Designs on Syrian-Intermediate ivories are versions of some
Phoe­nician subjects, employing different proportions and styles. They
may represent the art of the recently-arrived Aramaean kingdoms,
copying their sophisticated neighbours, while North Syrian ivories are
entirely different in subject and character and derive from earlier
Hittite traditions.

The ivories found at Nimrud present a unique resource for studying the
minor arts of the Levantine world. Published in May 2013 by The
British Institute for the Study of Iraq (Gertrude Bell Memorial).

The book launch is free to attend, but please sign up in advance at:
[www.bisi.ac.uk].

Hermione
Director/Moderator - The Hall of Ma'at

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