Gudea - London, England, UK
Posted by: 
Metro2
N 51° 31.131 W 000° 07.573
30U E 699376 N 5711441
Gudea was the "Ensi" or "town-king" of Lagash. Although he considered himself a god, he did not take the more exalted title of "Lugal"
Waymark Code: WMDKYR
Location: London, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 01/28/2012
Views: 5
This sculpture of Gudea is located in the British Museum which does not charge an admission fee and DOES permit non-flash photography.
The work depicts Gudea wearing a simple robe and in apparent prayer. He has his hands clasped peacrfully in front of hid chest. The placard in the Museum indicates that he is depicted as a "faithful worshiper and agent to his god." It is carved from diorite and dated from the third millenium BC.
Wikipedia (
visit link) informs us:
"Gudea was a ruler (ensi) of the state of Lagash in Southern Mesopotamia who ruled ca. 2144 - 2124 BC. He probably did not come from the city, but had married Ninalla, daughter of the ruler Urbaba (2164 - 2144 BC) of Lagash, thus gaining entrance to the royal house of Lagash. He was succeeded by his son Ur-Ningirsu...
Gudea claimed to have conquered Elam and Anshan, but his inscriptions emphasize the building of irrigation channels and temples, and the creation of precious gifts to the gods. Materials for his buildings and statues were brought from all parts of western Asia: cedar wood from the Amanus mountains, quarried stones from Lebanon, copper from northern Arabia, gold and precious stones from the desert between Canaan and Egypt, diorite from Magan (Oman), and timber from Dilmun (Bahrain).
As the power of the Akkadian empire waned, Lagaš again declared independence, this time under Puzer-Mama, who declared himself lugal, or king, of Lagaš. Thereafter, this title would not be associated with Lagaš, at least until the end of the Gudean period. Lagašite rulers, including Ur-Ningirsu and Ur-Bau, whose reigns predated Gudea, referred to themselves as ensi, or governor, of Lagaš, and reserved the term lugal only for their gods or as a matter of rank in a relationship, but never as a political device. The continued use of lugal in reference to deities seems to indicate a conscious attempt on the parts of the rulers to assume a position of humility in relation to the world—whether this was honest humility or a political ploy is unknown."