Article

Developments in bronze art in the late Urartian Kingdom

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Abstract

In the 9(th) century BCE, the kingdom of Urartu arose as the dominant political force in eastern Anatolia and its surrounding territories. Situated around the Van Lake, the state declared Tu & scedil;pa as the capital. The central authority of the Urartian Kingdom soon developed an iconographic repertoire expressing their political identity/affiliation. The origin and meaning of motifs varies within this repertoire, and the paper aims at investigating these issues focusing on the decoration of bronze plates. This article explores the evolution of Urartian bronze art, spanning from the reign of I & scaron;puini to the decline of the Urartian Kingdom. It delineates distinctive stylistic features, such as tassel decorations and knitting motifs, which evolve over time. Iconographic shifts are noted, with god figures transitioning to animal depictions like lion-bull representations. Assyrian influence is evident throughout Urartian art, suggesting a cultural exchange between the two kingdoms. Variations in alloy composition among bronze artifacts hint at differences among workshops, though these do not always align with iconographic changes. This study will convey the diachronic changes and developments in the Urartian bronze artifacts, starting from the decorated bronze works bearing the names of the Urartian kings. It focuses on the changes in decoration and iconography during the decline of the Urartian Kingdom. The text also examines the political context, particularly the ascension of rulers like Rusa, son of Erimena, and its impact on artistic production. Overall, the paper provides an analysis of the development of bronze art in the late Urartian Kingdom, tracing its iconographic changes and possible external influences.

How to Cite:

Aras, O., (2024) “Developments in bronze art in the late Urartian Kingdom”, Akkadica 145(1), 69–84. doi: https://doi.org/10.21825/akkadica.96844