Introduction
Numerous ancient cultures feature mythical hybrid creatures with animal bodies and human heads. The Great Sphinx and the Lamassu are monumental in scale. Historical records surmise that the Great Sphinx of Giza was the brainchild of the 4th Dynasty King Khafre, who had it carved out of the Giza Plateau in approximately 2500 BCE (Neyland 15). The Lamassu is a Mesopotamian relief sculpture that is thought to date from the 9th to the 7th century BCE (Munez).
The Mesopotamian kings established palaces during the Assyrian period, which served as points of power (Munez). The lamassu was a symbol of power, and it was the rulers’ way of guarding their residences. The sculptures that depicted the aforementioned mythical creatures offer vital information on their origins and cultural significance (Lia and Dadvar 93). Though sculpted from different materials, the Sphynx and the Lamassu are depictions of the people’s expression of the importance of mythology and its role in their views of life.
Comparative Analysis: Lamassu and the Great Sphinx of Giza
Purpose
The Sphinx and Lamassu were created to serve specific functions in their communities. The Great Sphinx of Giza is an artistic depiction of a lion with a human head. There has been some debate as to the exact sculptor or the exact period when the sculpture was created. It is worth pointing out that such debates are beyond the scope of this paper.
It is worth noting that ancient Neo-Assyrian cultures featured similar creatures referred to as Lamassu, commonly depicted as a bull with wings and a human head. The stones were carved from monolithic stones that weighed as much as 40 tons (Munez). Each was created to protect palaces from intrusion, thus cementing the leader’s power.
Materials
The style of construction of the Sphinx and the Lamassu features monumental proportions. The structures are carved from different types of stone, meaning that there are significant variations in their surface treatments. The Sphinx appears abstract in texture and form, mainly because granite is a tough material with coarse grains that are prominently featured in buildings. Despite the difficulties associated with using granite, the craftsman demonstrated an acute awareness of a lion’s main contours.
Colors and Textures
There is evidence to indicate that colors were applied to highlight the Sphinx’s smooth surfaces. The lamassu was carved from gypsum, which is a softer material that can be easily carved to highlight features such as hair, a beard, or wings. The material allowed the craftsman to express realistic illusionism that would otherwise be impossible using coarse materials such as granite.
Lamassu sculptures, unlike the Sphinx, are created in the double-aspect relief, meaning they can only be viewed from the front or the side. The sculptures typically feature four or five legs. The creations with five legs often feature two at the front to create a figure that is standing still.
When viewed in profile, four legs are visible, which creates the illusion that the object is striding forward. The horned crowns, elaborate beards, and earrings in their ears distinguish them from Egyptian Sphinxes. It is believed that the body of the sculpture represents strength, the human head represents intelligence, and the wings are a sign of freedom.
There is a significant divergence in surface ornamentation when the Great Sphinx is compared to the Lamassu. However, their creators were interested in developing realistic portrayals of human traits. The Sphynx was built as a form of royal representation that fuses religious and political ideals.
The Role of Formal Elements in Overall Aesthetics
It is worth pointing out that even though the underlying characteristics of the base material may have hampered naturalistic surface treatment, the sculpture was determined to create visual interest. The Sphinx’s royal visage is artistically framed against a unique pattern of high and low relief. The Lamassu is not thought to represent a single individual.
Despite the apparent lack of focus, the sculptor dedicates a significant amount of time to developing the human face. The focus on human aspects is a common feature of both creations. The Lamassu benefits from the use of a malleable material, as evidenced by the sculptor’s application of a bas-relief style that emphasizes naturalistic rather than stylized details. It is also worth pointing out that a distinct high-relief style is applied to the plane of the sculpture’s face.
Reflection of Ancient Cultures
The Sphinx is reminiscent of Egypt’s ancient historical and cultural elements. The structure’s smooth granite surface, appealing semi-abstract nature, and the use of a hybrid in the form of a sphinx to represent royalty are classical depictions of Egypt’s past. The Sphinx is conservative in the way that it emphasizes continuity with earlier representations of Egyptian culture.
The Lamassu is a representation of early Mesopotamian techniques that focus on high relief. The Lamassu’s head is treated uniquely as the sculptor frees it from the rest of the sculpture, which seems animated when viewed from different angles. Both the Sphinx and the Lamassu serve as monumental pieces in their varied cultural contexts. They were created to imbue the people with royal or religious awe
Application of the Thing Theory to the Monuments
Thing theory proffers possible views of how human beings perceive their material environments. The theory posits that an object’s total reality is forever withdrawn from its audience, and only certain aspects are visible at any moment (Martin 29). The elements people can discern regarding specific objects are in a constant state of flux due to evolving cultural, psychological, and phenomenological factors (Martin 29).
Therefore, objects or entities with defined identities, names, or descriptions are not as stable in their ontology as their interpretive frameworks may suggest. Given that objects can become obsolete, it is worth considering the innate fragility of humanity’s mediating discourses. This, however, does not seem to have impacted the Sphinx or the Lamassu, given that they have spanned generations.
Functions and Meanings
The Sphinx of Giza and the Lamassu served ritualistic functions. However, it is unlikely that they served specific religious purposes. It is possible that the structures served as guides to areas of focal religious activities. The sculptures are similar in the sense that they did not play a central role in a religious sect. The structures drew heavily on local mythology because they portrayed otherworldly creatures that were familiar to the people. It was common to portray royals as hybrid creatures. The Lamassu was a supernatural hybrid that the people associated with guardianship.
The Great Sphinx and the Lamassu serve as threshold objects that represent contrasting traits. Both sculptors pay an inordinate amount of attention to the human forms of their creations. Both artists are keen to develop the head and the face, while the rest of the body is simply rounded off. The artists are focused on creating a recognizable portrait of a royal. The Egyptian sphinxes were typical representations of a royal.
While it is unclear whether the same was true for Lamassu, the extraordinary detail with which the human attributes are crafted points to the possibility that the sculpture was created with a specific patron in mind. The human head of the Sphinx is of great importance because, in Egypt, the Supreme God was mainly represented in human form (Irigaray 18). The belief that man was made in the image of God is dominant in Egyptian culture, and it stems from humanity’s determination to portray itself as the greatest among all species.
Conclusion
The Great Sphinx and the Lamassu were created as guardians of critical architectural structures. While the Sphinx stood guard in front of a mortuary temple, the Lamassu protected a palace. The sculptures represent the people’s strong mythical belief structures and their reliance on religious practices that valued death and the afterlife for the Egyptians. The Lamassu depicts an imaginary guardian rather than the face of an existing individual. The Sphynx’s depiction of a royal’s face highlights the prevalence of theocracy in ancient Egypt and the degree to which the people associated their leaders with divinity.
The Sphinx, unlike the lamassu, appears solemn, which indicates the sculptor’s reverence for the sculpture’s divinity. Both sculptures were created to commemorate royal prestige after a period of turmoil. The Sphinx marked the artistic and prosperous rule of one of Egypt’s few female pharaohs, while the Assyrian ruler oversaw the growth of a nation after centuries of obscurity. Each of the sculptures occupies an important position in its people’s lives as they navigate the complexities of leadership, mythology, and divinity.
Works Cited
Irigaray, Christian. “The Religious Meaning of the Great Sphinx.” Horus in the Akhet, 2020, pp. 1–23. Web.
Lia, Madonna, and Abolghasem Dadvar. “Comparative Study of the Sculpture of Lamassu in Assyrian and Achae-Menid Art.” Journal of the Art Faculty Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, vol. 8, no. 17, 2019, pp. 93–112. Web.
Martin, Elizabeth. “The Great Sphinx and Other ‘Thinged’ Statues in Colonial Portrayals of Africa.” Victorian Literature and Culture, vol. 50, no. 1, 2022, pp. 27–59. Web.
Munez, Everett. “Lamassu: Statue, Definition, Assyrian, & Facts.” Britannica. 2022. Web.
Neyland, Robert S. “Mehit’s Stump: Unmasking the Great Sphinx of Giza.” Archaeological Discovery, vol. 8, no. 1. 2019, pp. 1–25. Web.