214 dominik bonatz
prepared by a servant.36 a fan bearer stands behind each representation
of the seated ruler (visible on the narrow side of the corner orthostats).
the design of both images recalls assyrian representations in glyptic art
and on palace reliefs, but many of the details of both the king’s clothes and
his hair and beard reflect the fully developed local style in samʾal. a char-
acteristic feature of the aramaean ruler is his helmet-like pointed cap,
which has its origins in the assyrian royal cap and is often referred to in
the research literature as the “aramaean tiara.”37 the cloak, which is worn
over a long robe with one corner draped across the right shoulder, also
identifies the king and other members of the samʾal court élite (pl. Iv).38
the single, spiraling lock of hair that hangs down in front of Bar-rakkab’s
ear and can be seen on other figures associated with the king (e.g., the
fan bearers on the same orthostat) was once seen as a characteristic ara-
maean stylistic element, like the aramaean tiara.39 But as diacritic mark-
ers of status and social distinctions, such elements in visual art primarily
had an impact in the spatially and temporally limited confines of samʾal
society and cannot generally be regarded as features of an aramaean
style.40 the fundamentally new thematic focuses seen on the reliefs at
hilani Iv and hilani III—the representation of ritual court ceremonies in
contrast to the combination of divine and royal imagery on the older city
and castle gates—is directly related to the function of a conventionalized
visual language that was used to represent the king and the local elite.
this monumental sculptural art places the ruler at the center of a
clearly ritualized act that is focused on him. On the reliefs on the west-
ern side of the entrance to hilani Iv, the ruler is shown sitting at a meal
with a procession of courtiers and musicians advancing toward him.41 at
hilani III he leads the procession of court officials and male members of
36 Orthmann 1971: 63 Zincirli F/1a–b (va 2817) (here pl. III), from the eastern wall of
the entrance. the orthostat originally erected on the opposite western wall has only been
partially reconstructed from several scattered fragments (vaM Berlin s 8587 + s 6585,
aOM Istanbul 7797). see voos 1985: 71–86 fig. 14.
37 Orthmann 1971: 67, 156f.
38 see also the figures on the relief at hilani Iv (Orthmann 1971: Zincirli h/4–h/9)
and an additional representation of Bar-rakkab on an orthostat found south of hilani Iv
(Orthmann 1971: 549, Zincirli K/1.
39 akurgal 1949: 13, 27–29 and id. 21976: 100f.
40 In this connection it should be added that a very similar form of the robe with a cor-
ner draped across the right shoulder can be seen, for example, on the statue of a ruler from
Melid (Malatya)—i.e., on a sculptural work from a Luwian city (Bonatz 2000a: a13).
41 see the reconstruction drawing in voos 1985: fig. 15.