Statue Of Gudea Essay

The statue of Gudea seated holding the plan of a temple, also named “The Architect with a Plan”, is a parietal statue in the round created using the subtractive method around 2100 BCE. Although the statue is only 2’5” high, it is made from a granite-like material called diorite that is incredibly dense, making the statue heavy and difficult to move. It would have taken the artist a significant effort to carve and polish this object because of how challenging it is to work with the material. This statue is one of the 27 various statues found depicting the ensi, or prince, of Lagash, Gudea. The artist of this piece is unknown, but it is known that Gudea commissioned the statue to be made. In this particular statue, Gudea is sitting down with his feet facing forward and his

This imagery portrays Gudea as a powerful figure because of his sitting position, showing his strength as a ruler. His clasped hands indicate that he is praying, which makes sense that this would be a statue situated in a temple. The specific god that this statue is meant to worship is the great god of the Pantheon of the state of Lagash, Ningirsu. One notable attribute of this object is that it is missing its head. This could have been the cause of degeneration over time, or something more malicious.

As places were conquered and leaders replaced, it was common practice to deface statues depicting the previous rulers and their gods. It was though that these statues held the power of the individual that they depicted, and by defacing the statues you could actually take power away from the being. The head could have been removed to destroy Gudea’s power, and to prevent Ningirsu from receiving prayers.

This statue was found in Girsu, what is today modern day Tell Telloh, Iraq, and is located several miles northwest of Lagash. During the time of this statues creation, the Second Dynasty of Lagash, Gudea was working