Exploring the Wonders of Ishtar Gate, ‘A Wonder to Behold’ at ISAW in November

 

 

 

Reconstructed panel of bricks with a striding lion. Neo-Babylonian Period (reign of Nebuchadnezzar II, 604–562 BCE). Molded and glazed baked clay. Processional Way, El-Kasr Mound, Babylon, Iraq. H. 99.7 cm; W. 230.5 cm. Lent by The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Fletcher Fund, 1931: 31.13.2. CC0 1.0 Image courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

The Institute for the Study of the Ancient World (ISAW) presents A Wonder to Behold: Craftsmanship and the Creation of Babylon’s Ishtar Gate, opening new avenues for understanding one of the most spectacular achievements of the ancient world. On view from November 6, 2019, through May 24, 2020, the exhibition features 180 objects that bring to life the synthesis of masterful craftsmanship and ancient beliefs that transformed clay, minerals, and organic materials—seen as magically potent substances—into this powerful monument.

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