Description
The royal Lion Hunt of Ashurbanipal is depicted in a renowned series of Assyrian palace reliefs from the North Palace of Nineveh, now displayed in room 10a of the British Museum. These reliefs are widely considered the “supreme masterpieces of Assyrian art.” They illustrate a formalized ritual hunt conducted by King Ashurbanipal (reigned 669-631 BC) within an arena, where captured Asian lions were released from cages for the king to kill with arrows, spears, or his sword. Created around 645-635 BC, these reliefs originally formed various sequences throughout the palace. They were likely painted and were part of a vividly colored decor.
“Assyrion Lion” is a powerful drawn image that references the war and historic changes that have engulfed the Middle East in recent decades, leading to the loss and damage of ancient cultural icons. Jiménez dramatically incorporates the archetypal image of a wounded lioness (see below) and adds a flame-engulfed, falling ziggurat—possibly symbolizing the Tower of Babel—to underscore his message. The arrows in the image can also be interpreted as modern missiles, further emphasizing the connection to contemporary conflicts.