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Public Courtyard
1

Tribute Bearers
From the frieze covered walls of the large public courtyard comes this limestone bas relief depicting tribute being borne to Assur-nasir-pal. The use of large, carved limestone slabs such as these to decorate the mud brick walls of palaces is characteristic of Neo-Assyrian royal architecture beginning with Assur-nasir-pal himself, although the custom of decorating walls in this way with relief sculpture probably derives from the Hittites and inhabitants of North Syria.

The tributaries pictured here are part of a long procession of foreigners bringing valuable goods as gifts to the Assyrian king. These two men are dressed as westerners, inhabitants of Carchemish, Bit-Adini or Phoenicia. Men in similar clothing, with pointed hats and long fringed robes, are identified as coming from Sidon and Tyre on fragments of bronze palace gates recently excavated at Balawat.

The person to the right who wears a shorter, fringed garment and a wrapped headband carries one monkey and leads another. These are the same animals as those listed in Assur-nasir-pal's inscriptions as tribute coming to him from Phoenicia. The person to the left, who lifts his fists in greeting, wears much jewelry. Men from Carchemish are said to have taken precious gold and silver jewelry to Assur-nasir-pal when he defeated that Neo-Hittite city.

Originally the procession included Assyrian court officials leading the file of tributaries. The king was shown as the recipient of this wealth and luxury, to whom all the tribute was directed.

The same sort of tribute bearing processional can be found carved into the limestone slabs that line the outer courtyard walls at Khorsabad. There, Sargon II is shown on the walls outside of his throne room receiving enormous quantities of riches.

From the main courtyard here at Nimrud, paved with glazed tiles to resist the weather, whose walls paint a picture of all the goods of the Empire flowing into Nimrud the visitor enters directly and immediately into the kingÕs presence, through huge animal guarded doors into the throne itself.


back to Northwest Palace Overview

Public Courtyard 1 Tribute Bearers From the frieze covered walls of the large public courtyard comes this limestone bas relief depicting tribute being borne to Assur-nasir-pal. The use of large, carved limestone slabs such as these to decorate the mud brick walls of palaces is characteristic of Neo-Assyrian royal architecture beginning with Assur-nasir-pal himself, although the custom of decorating walls in this way with relief sculpture probably derives from the Hittites and inhabitants of North Syria. The tributaries pictured here are part of a long procession of foreigners bringing valuable goods as gifts to the Assyrian king. These two men are dressed as westerners, inhabitants of Carchemish, Bit-Adini or Phoenicia. Men in similar clothing, with pointed hats and long fringed robes, are identified as coming from Sidon and Tyre on fragments of bronze palace gates recently excavated at Balawat. The person to the right who wears a shorter, fringed garment and a wrapped headband carries one monkey and leads another. These are the same animals as those listed in Assur-nasir-pal's inscriptions as tribute coming to him from Phoenicia. The person to the left, who lifts his fists in greeting, wears much jewelry. Men from Carchemish are said to have taken precious gold and silver jewelry to Assur-nasir-pal when he defeated that Neo-Hittite city. Originally the procession included Assyrian court officials leading the file of tributaries. The king was shown as the recipient of this wealth and luxury, to whom all the tribute was directed. The same sort of tribute bearing processional can be found carved into the limestone slabs that line the outer courtyard walls at Khorsabad. There, Sargon II is shown on the walls outside of his throne room receiving enormous quantities of riches. From the main courtyard here at Nimrud, paved with glazed tiles to resist the weather, whose walls paint a picture of all the goods of the Empire flowing into Nimrud the visitor enters directly and immediately into the kingÕs presence, through huge animal guarded doors into the throne itself.