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Doorway Guardian Genii

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Guardian Genii
Here we have an end to the hunting and fighting for a moment. The wall is broken by a doorway that leads to Reception Room F. The door-way is flanked by two winged, human headed genii and two winged bulls with horned crowns of divinity. Genii and super-human bulls are symmetrically arranged on either side of the passageway leading to Room F.


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Winged Guardian Bull
Two huge winged bulls wearing the horned crowns of the gods stand at the door way that leads to Reception Room F. The creature is covered with the Òstandard inscriptionÓthat begins with the words "This is the great house of Assur-nasir-pal etc." Winged bulls such as these as well as winged lions guard the entrances to important temple and palace rooms at Nimrud. We should remember here that the wild bull and the lion are early on in Sumer first the images of the gods themselves, then reinterpreted as their side-kicks upon whom they ride or who pull their chariots and eventually their enemies but divine, nevertheless.

This colossal bull has an extra leg; he has five. This is characteristic of the earlier (9th century) Neo-Assyrian colossi. By the time of Assur-bani-pal there will be only four legs remaining.