Editing Sculpture (section)

=== Ancient Near East ===
{{main|Art of Mesopotamia|Assyrian sculpture|Persian art}}
[[File:Cylinder seal lions Louvre MNB1167.jpg|thumb|[[Cylinder seal]] with its impression on clay; [[serpopard]]s and eagles, Uruk Period, 4100–3000 BCE]]
The [[Protoliterate period]] in [[Mesopotamia]], dominated by [[Uruk]], saw the production of sophisticated works like the [[Warka Vase]] and [[cylinder seal]]s. The [[Guennol Lioness]] is an outstanding small [[limestone]] figure from [[Elam]] of about 3000–2800 BCE, part human and part lioness.<ref>Frankfort, 24–37.</ref> A little later there are a number of figures of large-eyed priests and worshippers, mostly in alabaster and up to a foot high, who attended temple [[cult image]]s of the deity, but very few of these have survived.<ref>Frankfort, 45–59.</ref>  Sculptures from the [[Sumer]]ian and [[Akkadian Empire|Akkadian]] period generally had large, staring eyes, and long beards on the men. Many masterpieces have also been found at the Royal Cemetery at [[Ur]] (c. 2650 BCE), including the two figures of a ''[[Ram in a Thicket]]'', the ''[[Copper Bull]]'' and a bull's head on one of the [[Lyres of Ur]].<ref>Frankfort, 61–66.</ref>

From the many subsequent periods before the ascendency of the [[Neo-Assyrian Empire]] in the 10th century BCE, Mesopotamian art survives in a number of forms: [[cylinder seal]]s, relatively small figures in the round, and reliefs of various sizes, including cheap plaques of moulded pottery for the home, some religious and some apparently not.<ref>Frankfort, Chapters 2–5.</ref> The [[Burney Relief]] is an unusually elaborate and relatively large (20 x 15&nbsp;inches, 50 x 37&nbsp;cm) [[terracotta]] plaque of a naked winged goddess with the feet of a bird of prey, and attendant owls and lions. It comes from the 18th or 19th century BCE, and may also be moulded.<ref>Frankfort, 110–12.</ref> Stone [[stela]]e, [[votive offering]]s, or ones probably commemorating victories and showing feasts, are also found from temples, which unlike more official ones lack inscriptions that would explain them;<ref>Frankfort, 66–74.</ref> the fragmentary [[Stele of the Vultures]] is an early example of the inscribed type,<ref>Frankfort, 71–73.</ref> and the Assyrian [[Black Obelisk of Shalmaneser III]] a large and solid late one.<ref>Frankfort, 66–74, 167.</ref>

The conquest of the whole of Mesopotamia and much surrounding territory by the Assyrians created a larger and wealthier state than the region had known before, and very grandiose art in palaces and public places, no doubt partly intended to match the splendour of the art of the neighbouring Egyptian empire. Unlike earlier states, the Assyrians could use easily carved stone from northern Iraq, and did so in great quantity.  The Assyrians developed a style of extremely [[Assyrian sculpture#Palace reliefs|large schemes of very finely detailed narrative low reliefs]] in stone for palaces, with scenes of war or hunting; the [[British Museum]] has an outstanding collection, including the ''[[Lion Hunt of Ashurbanipal]]'' and the [[Lachish relief]]s showing a campaign. They produced very little sculpture in the round, except for colossal guardian figures of the human-headed [[lamassu]], which are sculpted in high relief on two sides of a rectangular block, with the heads effectively in the round (and also five legs, so that both views seem complete). Even before dominating the region they had continued the cylinder seal tradition with designs which are often exceptionally energetic and refined.<ref>Frankfort, 141–93.</ref>

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File:Guennol Lioness.jpg|The [[Guennol Lioness]], 3rd millennium BCE, {{convert|3.25|in|cm}} high
File:Statue Gudea Met 59.2.jpg|One of 18 [[Statues of Gudea]], a ruler around 2090 BCE
File:Lilith Periodo de Isin Larsa y Babilonia.JPG|The [[Burney Relief]], [[First Babylonian dynasty|Old Babylonian]], around 1800 BCE
File:Sculpted reliefs depicting Ashurbanipal, the last great Assyrian king, hunting lions, gypsum hall relief from the North Palace of Nineveh (Irak), c. 645-635 BC, British Museum (16722368932).jpg|Part of the ''[[Lion Hunt of Ashurbanipal]]'', c. 640 BCE, [[Nineveh]]
</gallery>