A lion leaping at the King's chariot
Stone panel from the North-West Palace of Ashurnasirpal II at Nimrud, northern Iraq, neo-Assyrian, 883–859BC. This alabaster relief shows the royal sport of kings. Royal lion hunts were an ancient tradition in Mesopotamia, with examples of similar scenes known as early as 3000BC. Ashurnasirpal, who reigned 883–859BC, seems to have been an especially enthusiastic hunter. Inscriptions claim that he killed a total of 450 lions. Copyright of the Trustees of the British Museum.
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