What is the name of the Met’s Assyrian winged bull relief from Nimrud? It is a lamassu.
A lamassu is a protective supernatural guardian, usually shown with a human head, a winged body, and the muscular body of a bull or lion. Assyrian rulers placed these colossal figures beside palace gateways and other important entrances to repel evil and announce royal power.
The Met’s example comes from Nimrud, the ancient city of Kalhu in northern Iraq. It dates to the reign of Ashurnasirpal II, approximately 883–859 BCE, when Nimrud became a major Assyrian capital. The figure is carved from gypsum alabaster and weighs more than seven tons.
Viewers sometimes call such a creature a sphinx or griffin, but those terms describe different mythological forms. The lamassu’s human head and guardian role are the defining clues. Assyrian sculptors often gave these figures five legs, so they appear standing from the front and walking from the side.