Cleveland Museum of Art

Head of Gudea, ensi of Lagash

Date

2144–2124 BCE

Medium

dolerite

Culture

Mesopotamia, Iraq, Lagash (Tello)

Department

Egyptian and Ancient Near Eastern Art

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

Gudea was an ensi or ruler of the southern Mesopotamian city-state of Lagash in the 22nd century BCE. Archaeologists have found over 30 complete and fragmentary statues of his likeness and over 2,400 inscriptions mentioning his name. Gudea was both a political and religious leader, and most of the statues depicting him were housed in temples. This head was originally on the body of 1963.154 ; however, they were separated in 1974 when it was realized they did not belong together.

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