Kneeling Figure Bound with Serpents

This alabaster statuette, which depicts a kneeling, bearded figure bound by serpents, is a product of the Sumerian civilization of southern Mesopotamia. Along with the Egyptians, the Sumerians were among the earliest ancient peoples to develop a truly urban, literate society with a highly evolved legal and administrative system.

The identity and context of the bound, naked figure depicted here are an enigma. Some scholars have suggested that the subject is a mythological hero such as Gilgamesh, whose epic feats include a victorious combat with a serpent. This figure, however, appears less a combatant than a victim of the paired snakes, which entangle his arms and chest. His kneeling posture, with arms bound and drawn behind the back, conforms to the depiction of prisoners in ancient Near Eastern art. For this reason, he is more likely to represent a subdued foreign enemy than a triumphant hero. An exact replica of this statuette, slightly smaller in scale, can be found in the Iraq Museum in Baghdad.