Illustration
This detail is part of a mosaic column, which may have stood at the side of the entrance into the temple. The whole column originally had a core of palm-wood (now perished). A layer of bitumen coated that wood. The mosaic inlay pieces (mother-of-pearl, pink limestone, and black shale) have copper wires at the back. The wires were twisted into loops which were set into the bitumen layer to hold the mosaic pieces into position. Early Dynastic Period, circa 2500 BCE. From the Temple of Ninhursag (out of position at the foot of the temple) at Tell Al-Ubaid, Southern Mesopotamia, modern-day Iraq. (The British Museum, London)
About the Author
Related Images
Imdugud Copper Frieze from the Ninhursag Temple
Lion's Head from the Temple of Ninhursag
Bull's head from the Temple of Ninhursag
Reproduction of Madaba Mosaic Map
Mosaic with Orestes & Iphigenia
Mosaic with Musicians
Cite This Work
APA Style
Amin, O. S. M. (2017, August 23). Mosaic Column from the Temple of Ninhursag. Ancient History Encyclopedia. Retrieved from https://www.ancient.eu/image/6960/
Chicago Style
Amin, Osama S. M. "Mosaic Column from the Temple of Ninhursag." Ancient History Encyclopedia. Last modified August 23, 2017. https://www.ancient.eu/image/6960/.
MLA Style
Amin, Osama S. M. "Mosaic Column from the Temple of Ninhursag." Ancient History Encyclopedia. Ancient History Encyclopedia, 23 Aug 2017. Web. 24 Aug 2019.