Head of a statue of the ruler Puzur-Eshtar of Mari

In 1914 a life-size headless statue was uncovered by the excavators at Babylon; as it turned out the missing head had already been purchased by the Berlin Museum before the German expedition took up their work at the site. This sculpture is remarkable for several reasons, one of them being the identity of the standing figure: While the brimmed cap with the pair of horns indicates the divine status, the toga-like garment and gesture point to a human being. The votive cuneiform inscription names Puzur-Eshtar, governor of Mari, who has dedicated this statue for his life. The sculpture may depict Puzur-Eshtar himself with hands clasped, an unknown deity or even a deified king. However, the mutilated head still reflects a fine treatment of features including the elaborately curled beard. It is most likely that the image was initially placed in a temple before being carried off from Syria as booty. [NC]