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Primary sourceSculpturec. 645–635 BCE

Lion Hunt of Ashurbanipal

Assyrian royal sculptors · c. 645–635 BCE

A carved stone relief from Ashurbanipal's North Palace showing the king spearing a lion in a staged royal hunt.

This relief depicts Ashurbanipal himself as the royal hunter, staging his image as protector of order.

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Photo of a carved stone relief panel. At left, a bearded man in a robe thrusts a spear into the head of a lion. An attendant with a quiver stands beside him. At right, a figure walks beside a horse, and a rider sits on the horse's back.
Assyrian royal sculptors, Lion Hunt of Ashurbanipal, c. 645–635 BCE. British Museum, London.

About this source

What it is

This is a carved stone relief panel from the North Palace of Ashurbanipal, made by Assyrian royal sculptors around 645–635 BCE. It shows a bearded man thrusting a spear into a lion's head, with an attendant nearby and a figure with a horse. It is now held by the British Museum.

Why it matters

The lion hunt reliefs are among the most famous Assyrian artworks. They present Ashurbanipal as a strong king who defends order by conquering dangerous wild animals in a controlled arena. These images were propaganda, showing the king's power to anyone who saw the palace walls.

Look closer

  • Why might a king want to be shown fighting lions rather than doing ordinary royal tasks?
  • What does the careful carving tell you about the skill of the artists who worked for the king?
  • What is left out of this image about the real dangers or costs of such a hunt?

This sculpture is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Ashurbanipal on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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