art 211
2.1.1 Orthostat Reliefs
the oldest series of sculptural reliefs in samʾal were found at the southern
city gate and the outer citadel gate.22 Both groups were probably created
after the mid-10th century B.c. Due to their slight stylistic differences it
can be assumed that they emerged in different periods.23 the figures on
the reliefs on the southern gate are stiff and awkward, while those on the
reliefs on the outer citadel gate show the first attempts to treat the body
as an organic form. there are also fluid transitions in the iconography of
the images in both groups, which include winged griffins and sphinxes as
mythological hybrid creatures and scenes from the lion and deer hunt.
the more numerous and better preserved reliefs from the outer citadel
gate most clearly demonstrate the intrinsic visual context that s. Mazzoni
aptly describes as a “dynastic parade.”24 scenes of the divine sphere appear
on the left of the gate, those of the human world on the right. the front
of the gate is dominated by the theme of war, the interior by that of the
hunt. an orthostat at the front corner of the gate (Zincirli B/5)—appearing
on the left when viewed from the entrance—depicts the ruler as a pro-
tagonist in the worldly order (pl. I). two members of the ruling house are
shown striding in front of him, including perhaps his son or successor.
they are additional representatives of the dynastic order. the adjacent
orthostat shows the ruler and his spouse at a shared meal (Zincirli B/3).
In the later reception of these sculptural works, this scene was probably
understood not only as a royal feast in which the ruling couple partook,
but also as a symbol of the continued existence of the dynastic ances-
tors in the afterlife (see section 3.3). the protection of the city and the
ruling dynasty is symbolically embodied by the large number of divini-
ties present, the mightiest of which can be seen across from the image
of the royal family, now at the right corner of the gate. the triad of gods
at the top of the divine sphere (pl. II; Zincirli B/13a, B/13b, B/14) illustrates
in an exemplary manner the iconographic similarities to sculptural art
22 Orthmann 1971: Zincirli a/1–9 (southern city gate) and B/1–33 (outer citadel gate).
the only pieces that are possibly older than these carved orthostats are the three unfin-
ished foreparts of sphinxes from the region of “Der alte Bau unter dem thore” and a fore-
part of a fourth sphinx from outside the city. they bear similarities with the sculptures
found in the Yesemek quarry and support the thesis that the sculptures produced there
were intended for samʾal, among other places (Orthmann 1971: 73, 79 c 6–7, K/8).
23 Orthmann distinguishes between the stylistic groups Zincirli I and II, both of which
are part of the stylistic phase “Late hittite II” or, with respect to Zincirli I, mark its transi-
tion (Orthmann 1971: 60–62, 462).
24 Mazzoni 1997: 318–322.