Ein vergoldeter Silberbecher der Zeit Assurbanipals im Miho Museum: Historische Darstellungen des 7. Jahrhunderts v. Chr.

• Author: ALBENDA, PAULINE
• Position: Brief Article

Ein vergoldeter Silberbecher der Zeit Assurbanipals im Miho Museum: Historische Darstellungen des 7. Jahrhunderts v. Chr. By ERIKA BLEIBTREU Archiv fur Orientforschung, Beiheft 28. Vienna: SELBSTVERLAG DES INSTITUTS FUR ORIENTALISTIK DER UNIVERSITAT WIEN, 1999. Pp. v + 48, illustrations.

The monograph under review discusses a funnel-shaped silver goblet with gold leaf on the outer surface, which since 1998 has belonged to the Miho Museum in Japan. The goblet measures 24.5 cm in height, and a separate bottom about 4 cm in height fits over the lower part of the vessel. Under the brim of the goblet is a restored rectangular gold plate. Two groups of incised narrative friezes encircle the vessel, and above and below are ornamental designs. On the outer rim of the goblet the figure of a lion precedes a cuneiform inscription that mentions the Assyrian king Ashurbanipal (668-627 B.c.). On the inner rim is a Neo-Elamite inscription mentioning Ampiris, king of Samati. Unfortunately, photographs of the two inscriptions in their entirety are not provided. Technical analysis of the silver and gold-leaf goblet has yet to be accomplished. The goblet has no provenance, requiring Bleibtreu to postulate three possible locations in Iran where it may have been found. She accepts the authenticity of the goblet, therefore no consideration is given to a fourth possibility, that the decorated vessel is modern or a combination of modern and ancient.

In each of the two friezes the subject matter consists of a long procession of assorted human figure-groupings that include the Assyrian king in his royal chariot, Assyrian courtiers and soldiers, Elamite kings, and foreign soldiers who are identified as coming from Elam, Urartu, Syria, and the Levant. The text descriptions deal mainly with locating specific figures or groups of figures with similar types on the wall reliefs from the North Palace of Ashurbanipal at Nineveh, conveniently published by R.D. Barnett in 1976. Bleibtreu asserts that the friezes on the goblet correspond to a later phase in the reign of Ashurbanipal, and that the inclusion of Elamite kings gives art-historical importance to the scenes. Supplementing the text are twenty-eight plates of photographs and line drawings (note: two plates are of a recently acquired goat rhyton in the Miho Museum). A foldoutline drawing of both friezes is provided, on which numbers are added to the individual human figures for reference.

Many problems and oddities...