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THE FADED SPLENDOUR OF LAGASHITE PRINCESSES: A RESTORED STATUETTE FROM TELLO AND THE DEPICTION OF COURT WOMEN IN THE NEO-SUMERIAN KINGDOM OF LAGASH

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 November 2016

Ariane Thomas
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Abstract

A statuette of a woman dating from the Second Dynasty of Lagash features exceptional gold, silver and copper bracelets that have been recently restored and analysed. The statue is remarkable for its refined dress, to date known only from a small number of female figures, almost all linked to the court of Lagash's Second Dynasty. Examination of the statuette and comparable pieces has revealed possible traces of polychromy, although these vestiges are particularly difficult to identify with any certainty. This paper presents these results within the larger corpus of female depictions from the Second Dynasty of Lagash, together with other very similar examples, to better understand the meaning of the specific costume they wear and the possible identity of the women wearing it.

Type
Research Article
Information
IRAQ , Volume 78 , December 2016 , pp. 215 - 239
Copyright
Copyright © The British Institute for the Study of Iraq 2016 

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