The Akkadian Empire followed the Sumerian period in Mesopotamia. Its rulers exercised considerable influence over the region. Visual arts during the reign of the Akkadian Dynasty saw an unprecedented focus on naturalistic details and carving styles. This change may be seen in all genres of art. Along with the development in carving of stone steles, metal statues began to be made using the hollow cast lost-wax method. The first known occurrence of this method dates to this era. Here is an overview of Art in the Akkadian period in Mesopotamia.
Table of Contents
The Key Questions
Akkad was a region in Mesopotamia in what is now central Iraq. The early inhabitants of this region spoke a language known as Akkadian, from which they get their name. To the south of Akkad was the region of Sumer, the earliest known civilization in Mesopotamia. While Akkadian is a Semitic language, Sumerians spoke a non-Semitic language.
Sargon was the ruler of Akkad from around 2334 to 2279 BCE. He and his descendants established control over a large part of the ancient Near Eastern world. They brought together the Akkadian and Sumerian speakers under one rule to establish the Akkadian Empire. With its capital at Akkad, the empire governed a large region across Mesopotamia to Anatolia, Arabia, Iran, and as far west as Cyprus in the Mediterranean Sea. It lasted from 2,334 to 2,193 BCE.
S1 – Mesopotamia Art Types
S2 – Sculpture
In Akkadian relief sculptures, there is emphasis on rounded forms with details of the body incised into the relief as sharp lines. It marks the beginning of the interest of the artist in capturing a realistic and anatomically accurate depiction of the body. This new interest in correct representation is a key characteristic of Akkadian sculpture. It may be seen in the famous Stele of Sargon.
A new stylistic innovation in Akkadian sculpture is the method of depicting the hair combed forward in radiating curls. This is strikingly different from Sumerian art and is thus used to date artworks where there is no inscription or archaeological context. An impressive achievement of the art of Akkadian dynasty are the statues cast in an alloyed copper, an early form of bronze, in the hollow-cast lost-wax method.
A famous example of Akkadian sculpture is a cast bronze portrait head of an Akkadian ruler. The statue has been created in the fully developed phase of Akkadian art. It has stylized eyes, eyebrows, hair and beard. This is combined with a naturalistic nose and mouth. The level of naturalism achieved in the statue is unprecedented in Mesopotamian art. Moreover, it showcases great skill in hollow casting method.
A prime example of Akkadian relief sculpture is the Victory Stele of Naram Sin. It depicts the victory of King Naram-Sin over the Lullubi mountain people. The artwork has a unified composition in comparison to the neat levels of the earlier periods. The figures are depicted in high relief to amplify the dramatic significance of the scene.
S3 – Cylinder Seals
Iconography used by Akkadian seal engravers expanded to include a variety of new mythological, thematic, and narrative subjects. An example from the period is the Seal of Balu-ili, a court official. It shows a hunting scene. Though the motif had been explored previously, it is given a new setting in a clearly defined landscape.
A very large number of cylinder seals survive from the Akkadian Period in Mesopotamia. The level of skill in carving cylinder seals reached unprecedented heights. The naturalism attained in the minute carvings was unparalleled in the ancient world. Akkadian seal carving is divided into three stylistic and chronological groupings.
This division into three periods is primarily based on the hero-animal contest scenes. Other depictions don’t necessarily fall into these categories. Thus, this categorization can’t be applied strictly and is only a guideline. Other subjects covered include mythological and divine scenes as well as depictions of daily life.
Akkadian I
This phase saw the beginning of a linear form of carving images of gods. While some Sumerian methods continued, there are major stylistic differences. Hero-beast combat, a major theme in Mesopotamian art, was different in the sense that the figures no longer overlap and are distributed in space along the seal. Moreover, there is more focus on the figures and their shapes, sizes, etc.
In Sumerian art of the Early Dynastic Era, the creativity of the overall design was given precedence over the details of the individual figures. However, in Akkadian art this changed as more focus was given to naturalistic and concrete depiction of figures, whether mortal men or deities.
Akkadian II
In this phase, there is even more focus on close resemblance to real bodies of the figures. This includes more accurate depiction of bone structure, musculature, facial features and hair. This emphasis on realistic representation in cylinder seals may also be seen in the large-scale stone carving of royal monuments. This is referred to as Classical Akkadian Style.
Akkadian III
The Classical Style of Akkadian Dynasty was fully developed in the reign of Naramsin, grandson of Sargon; and Sharkalisharri, Naramsin’s successor. This is the third and final phase of Akkadian seal carving. In it, we see forms with greater volume and deeper modeling; and the seals being cut in deeper relief. Traditional subjects continued in this phase. However, we see greater vigor in the depictions of fierce struggles between man and beasts; and in battle scenes.
Main Sources
S2:
Bahrani, Zainab. (2017). “Mesopotamia – Ancient Art and Architecture”. Thames & Hudson. pp115-117
“Akkadian and Neo-Sumerian”. Boundless Art History. BC Campus.
S3:
Bahrani, Zainab. (2017). “Mesopotamia – Ancient Art and Architecture”. Thames & Hudson. pp129-131
“Cylinder Seal And Modern Impression: Hunting Scene”. The MET.