The Burney Relief of Ishtar. Ancient Babylonian c1800 BC

Have you seen those magnificent 20th Century movies animating legends of old?

I’m hopeful that this incredible work of art, The Burney Relief, might bring to mind actresses whose feet are depicted with talons for gripping prey.

The eyes of a tiger.  Potions.  Magical conjurors.  Flying carpets.  Wise ones.  Glorious garb with colours pretty.  Head coverings to protect from the scorching sun.  Flights of winged creatures looking down upon men and their perfectly made daughters.  Giants sitting at their tables to be served.

Mesopotamian art holds such a strong place in my heart.  The weightiness of books I’ve read.  The number of words consumed as bread for eating.  Films numerous that never tire with age.

Mesopotamian art oh how much you are loved for all your works of brilliance.  Like history described as a man holographically computerised with knowledge abundant moving from glass to glass explaining Earth’s history.  To discuss ancient art without including Mesopotamia, where would we begin?

These cultural artifacts are our World Heritage.

Ur, Assyria and Persia storing up their ancient treasures.  Do you enjoy secrets?  Some are buried waiting patiently yet to find.  We can peer into their sophisticated cultures through visible representations of their world, their ancient thinking, cuneiform writings, cylinders and scrolls.

Ancient Middle-Eastern and Egyptian architecture reaching out into the Americas thousands of years ago.  Crossing seas and straits.  Trade and industry bringing a wonderful harmony or discordance whenever diplomacy does lack.

Through the nature of art there is the living with fine trees and carved rock to make geometric its face.  One hundred chisels.  Each worker skilled in the craft of their art.  All the grassy fabrics of the earth beautified.  Stones precious and polished to shine.  Cut to slow down light that we might take in its rays.  Light bounces in all directions and is moved into focus for a highlighting.

Who has not heard about the legend of Gilgamesh?  How many movies are there yet still to make?

Never will there be a tiring throughout all these days.