Statue of Ashurbanipal (San Francisco)
Ashurbanipal | |
---|---|
Artist | Fred Parhad |
Year | 1987–1988[1] |
Type | Sculpture |
Medium | Bronze |
Subject | Ashurbanipal |
Dimensions | 4.6 m (15 ft) |
Weight | ~1,800 lb (820 kg) |
Location | San Francisco, California, United States |
37°46′47″N 122°24′57″W / 37.77973°N 122.415934°W | |
Owner | Administered by the City and County of San Francisco and the San Francisco Arts Commission |
Ashurbanipal, also known as the Ashurbanipal Monument or the Statue of Ashurbanipal,[2] is a bronze sculpture by Fred Parhad, an artist of Assyrian descent. It is located in the Civic Center of San Francisco, California, in the United States. The 15-foot (4.6 m) statue depicting the Assyrian king of the same name was commissioned by the Assyrian Foundation for the Arts and presented to the City of San Francisco in 1988 as a gift from the Assyrian people. The sculpture reportedly cost $100,000 and was the first "sizable" bronze statue of Ashurbanipal.[3] It is administered by the City and County of San Francisco and the San Francisco Arts Commission.
Parhad's work was met with some criticism by local Assyrians, who argued it was inaccurate to portray Ashurbanipal holding a clay tablet and a lion, or wearing a skirt. The critics thought the statue looked more like the Sumerian king Gilgamesh; Maureen Gallery Kovacs, a Yale Ph.D. who has translated The Epic of Gilgamesh (Stanford U.P., 1989), believed the sculpture depicted neither figure, but rather a Mesopotamian "protective figure". Parhad defended the accuracy of his work, while also admitting that he took artistic liberties.[3]
Background
In
Description
The 8-foot (2.4 m)
The "larger-than-life", full length statue stands above a plinth adorned with a lotus blossom design and a
History
Ashurbanipal was designed by Fred Parhad, an
The Smithsonian Institution lists Frank Tomsick as the installation's architect and MBT Associates as its architectural firm. Ashurbanipal was surveyed by the Smithsonian's Save Outdoor Sculpture! program in 1992.[1] In 1996, plans for a Civic Center pedestrian mall were being developed by the San Francisco Planning and Urban Research Association; one planner advocated for construction of an Assyrian garden, including lotus blossoms, pomegranate trees and reeds, at the site of the statue.[13]
Reception
In December 1987, as news began to circulate about the commissioned work, local Assyrians accused Parhad of misrepresenting Ashurbanipal. Criticisms included the depiction of the king holding both a clay tablet and a lion, which they argued he "wouldn't do", and for dressing him in a skirt, which they claimed he would never have worn.[3] The critics thought the statue made a better portrayal of the Sumerian king Gilgamesh. One critic said:
It's very simple. The statue represents Gilgamesh.... No Assyrian has a right to imagine things about our king. It's exactly like making a copy of the Statue of Liberty and saying it is George Washington.... Assyrian kings didn't wear miniskirts. They wouldn't have been holding a lion or a book. It's an insult to the Assyrians.[3]
Narsai David responded:
They are entitled to their opinion.... We have never said this is a museum-quality reproduction.... We have always said this is a characterization of Ashurbanipal as done by a 20th-century artist. If they choose to think of this as Gilgamesh, they are free to do so.[3]
Maureen (Renee) Kovacs, a Yale Ph.D. who has translated The Epic of Gilgamesh (Stanford U.P., 1989), said the statue depicted neither Ashurbanipal nor Gilgamesh, but rather a Mesopotamian "protective figure, like a guard."[3] Parhad defended the accuracy of his work, while also admitting that he took artistic liberties and attempted to incorporate the various aspects of Assyrian culture, from its hunting mastery to its admiration for writing. He said of the sculpture:
The piece has authentic qualities to it, but it is also my statue.... With the earrings and the clothing and the hair and his daggers, it is Ashurbanipal. But in the choice of (stance), the fact that he is holding a tablet and a lion, that is mine. I wanted myself to be represented in the piece.[3]
See also
- 1988 in art
- Art in the San Francisco Bay Area
- Art of Mesopotamia
- Cultural depictions of lions
- Lamassu
References
- ^ a b c d e f g "Ashurbanipal, (sculpture)". Smithsonian Institution. Archived from the original on February 3, 2014. Retrieved August 11, 2013.
- ^ a b "1988: USA, California, San Jose: The Ashurbanipal Monument". Assyrian Information Management. August 8, 2012. Archived from the original on August 27, 2014. Retrieved August 9, 2013.
- ^ OCLC 22532489. Retrieved August 9, 2013.
- ISBN 0140561072
- ^ Russell, John M., Section 6. "c 1000–539 BC., (i) Neo-Assyrian." in Dominique Collon, et al. "Mesopotamia, §III: Sculpture." Grove Art Online, Oxford Art Online, Oxford University Press, accessed 19 November 2016, subscription required
- ^ a b Ishaya, Arianne (2006). "Settling Into Diaspora: A History of Urmia Assyrians in the United States" (PDF). Journal of Assyrian Academic Studies. 20 (1): 26. Archived (PDF) from the original on November 5, 2011. Retrieved August 9, 2013.
- ^ a b c d "Ashurbanipal Monument". Historical Marker Database. Archived from the original on September 18, 2013. Retrieved August 9, 2013.
- from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved August 9, 2013.
- ^ "Fred Parhad". Caroun.com. Archived from the original on October 29, 2013. Retrieved August 9, 2013.
- ^ "Who Is Who". Assyrian Universal Alliance Foundation. Archived from the original on October 29, 2013. Retrieved August 9, 2013.
- ^ ""Promoting Yourself in the Digital Age" – by Georgia I. Hesse". Bay Area Travel Writers. December 2, 2012. Retrieved August 9, 2013.
- ^ "Art Works of the Main Library". San Francisco Public Library. Archived from the original on August 24, 2013. Retrieved August 9, 2013.
- from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved August 12, 2013.
External links
- Ashurbanipal and His Library at the Assyrian Universal Alliance Foundation; includes a photograph by Robert B. Livingston
- Ashurbanipal Monument at the artist's official site
- Ashurbanipal Statue at the Main San Francisco Library in San Francisco, California at dcmemorials.com
- Civic Center – Ashurbanipal at Art and Architecture – San Francisco