Citizen-Herald, 19 November 2008

Assyrian treasures at the MFA

For middle school students currently engaged in the study of ancient history as well as anyone enchanted by the advanced abilities of civilizations thousands of years ago, shut those books and witness the wonders first hand. Visitors can stand on the edge of time, almost hearing the rumble of the chariots, gasping at the lion hunts, walking through great palaces and watching the raging battles of conquering kings. This exciting new exhibition at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston consist of 250 amazing art objects from the Assyrian Empire generously loaned from the British Museum.

In 860 BC Ashurnasirpal II, Assyria’s self-proclaimed “king of the universe,” invited 70,000 guests to a 10 day housewarming party to show off his new palace. It was built on 900 acres in Kalhu, now modern-day Iraq, and was considered to be the most magnificent palace ever built in the Near East. Three thousand years later visitors can marvel at excavated monumental wall reliefs that once lined the palace walls, adorning the interiors and also used as paneling along the bottom half of painted mud-brick walls. These 6 foot square panels of carved gypsum and originally painted in bright colors were carefully cut from the walls of the ruins by archeologists and shipped to Great Britain. These relefs tell tales of battles, conquests, lion hunts or are embellished with protective, mythical creatures that watched over this less than humble ruler. A number of panels have been reassembled to create a full, action rich story of one of the king’s victorious battles.

From 1840 to 1850 the British archeologist Austen Henry Layard unearthed this marvelous collection. Now visitors can gain an understanding of the power, majesty, sophistication and richness of the Assyrian culture. The exhibit is artfully divided into various topics such as The King and His Court, Palace and Temples, Assyria at War, Magic and Religion, The Battle Room, and the King in Recreation. From the grand panels, mounted on blocks at eye-level for easy, accessible viewing, to the intricately patterned stone carpet, jewelry, ivory carved fittings, cuneiform writings on clay tablets, and much more, ancient history has been beautifully brought to life in “Art & Empire: Treasures from Assyria” in the British Museum.

Numerous anecdotes surround this discovery. Translations of cuneiform texts substantiated places and events from previously refuted Biblical texts. Other translations produced the oldest work of literature in the world, The Epic of Gilgamesh. And the impetus for books set in the Middle East by crime writer Agatha Christi (1890-1976) were gleaned from her marriage to Sir Max Edgar Lucien Mallowan (1904-1978) the architect whose expeditions in the first half of the 20th century continued to extract extraordinary Assyrian artifacts.

Further enhancing this rare experience is the audio guide featuring a number of experts in archeology, religion and history plus noted graphic novelist Ben Katchor discussing the Assyrians’ skills at storytelling through pictures. Courses, gallery discussions and a free lecture are scheduled to accompany this exhibit. Especially fun is “The Quest” which uses text messaging on cell phone for a mobile scavenger hunt throughout the exhibit.

On view until Jan. 4, 2009, admission to the exhibit is by ticket only for a reserved date and time. This includes general admission plus a return visit to the MFA’s collection within 10 days. Tickets can be purchased directly at the MFA, located at 465 Huntington Ave. at their Box Office, on their Web site at mfa.org, or by calling 800-440-6975.

For general museum information call 617-267-9300.

By Susan G. Mulford/Special to the Citizen-Herald

Wed Nov 19, 2008, 01:00 PM EST