Warka Vase




Relief-carved alabaster vessel called the Uruk Vase, Uruk, Late Uruk period, c. 3500-3000 B.C.E. (Iraq Museum, Baghdad)

Warka (Uruk) Vase, Uruk, Late Uruk period, c. 3500-3000 B.C.E., 105 cm high (National Museum of Iraq)    

     The next piece I selected is the Warka Vase(https://smarthistory.org/warka-vase/). It was unearthed by German archaeologists in 1843 in the city of Uruk. This engraved vase stands about 3 feet tall and weighs approximately 600 pounds. It was located in a temple dedicated to the city’s main patron, Inanna, the goddess of love, war, and fertility. The Warka Vase is made of a type of sedimentary rock also known as gypsum or alabaster. It was a pair, however, the other was unreadable. The carves on this vase depict the life of the Mesopatamian people over thousands of years old. Each scene is separated by registers. The first starting with grains more than likely barley and reed banding around the base. The design alterations continue up next with rams and sheep probably prevalent in the region. Then with farm hands (slaves) are depicted as naked men collecting the grains. The top of the vase is the most damaged but also the most detailed. In this scene it shows the king who is fully clothed and his servants making an offering to what might be Inanna. On the other side, there are two bearded rams carrying more offerings including two vases that resemble the Warka Vase to Inanna this time present by the head priest. 

Top band (detail), Relief-carved alabaster vessel called the Uruk Vase, Uruk, Late Uruk period, c. 3500-3000 B.C.E. (Iraq Museum, Baghdad), photo: © Hirmer Verlag

Top band (detail), Warka (Uruk) Vase, Uruk, Late Uruk period, c. 3500-3000 B.C.E. (National Museum of Iraq), photo: Hirmer Verlag

    This is an enormous discovery giving one an insight to what life might have been like over a five thousand years ago.  It not only tells us about the hierarchy in that reign, and what the agricultural environment was like. One can also assume that the king and the head priest are making the offerings to ensure that the land remains rich. Like many of the other artwork we have seen this vase tells us a beautiful story of Mesopatamian culture. It's incredible patterns show us an remarkable society that had beliefs in higher powers.

Comments

  1. Bvigil7September 6, 2020 at 5:21 PM

    This is interesting that this vase displays the culture of the Mesopotamian people. That slavery seemed to play a greater significance when providing. Almost like slaves are at the same level as livestock. Something I wonder is, what was something like this used for? Purely decoration, water, food? The other thing that I found interesting was the material used to make the piece. When reading what was used, it made me wonder if that material can still be found and used to make sculptures now.

    ReplyDelete
  2. ChloSeptember 6, 2020 at 8:11 PM

    Hi, Emerald! I had done the generator for the comments and yours came up first. I find that very interesting because my last blog post was about the Warka Vase as well! It is such a well thought our piece of artwork. I found it so interesting how every level meant something different, and led to the goddess.

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