Winged Figures in Religious Art

Winged Figures in Religious Art

Symbolism in religious art plays an important role of epistemology as well as ontology and functionally symbolism works to hide truth and as well functions likewise in revealing the unknown. Animal parts such as the horns and often the feet and even skulls are utilized in symbolizing certain aspects of religious conception and these are used to provide a symbolic representation of that which is divine. Often combined in religious art are elements of iconography as well as motifs that are anthropomorphic, phytomorphic and theriomorphic in nature resulting in various hybrids and as well some religious art combined animals and humans often with a human body and animal head and vice-versa such as the snake in the Garden of Eden and art's portrayal of the snake as having a head like a human.

Statement of Thesis

The meaning of the depiction of winged beings in religious art has long been the source of debate among scholars and historians however, it is undeniable the use of winged beings is present across all religions in artistic expression and while the being that is depicted as having wings changes across time and is depicted as winged beings that have human attributes as well as winged beings that have the attributes of animals and even those with wings who have attributes that are both human and animal however, nevertheless the wings remain consistently and continuously depicted in religious art throughout the world and throughout the history of mankind.

Objective

The objective of this work is to examine four examples of religious art which are presently exhibited by the Metropolitan Museum of Art. For this purpose examined are:

(1) Door lintel with lion-griffins and vase with lotus leaf, 2nd -- 3rd century; Parthian period

Hatra, northern Mesopotamia Limestone

(2) Chair panel of Thutmose IV, New Kingdom, Dynasty 18, reign of Thutmose IV, ca. 1400 -- 1390 B.C. Egyptian Cedar

(3) Human-headed winged lion (lamassu), 883 -- 859 B.C.; Neo-Assyrian period, reign of Ashurnasirpal II Excavated at Nimrud (ancient Kalhu), northern Mesopotamia Alabaster (gypsum)

(4) Beaker (kero), 5th -- 9th century Peru; Tiwanaku Wood

Human & Animal Hybrids with Wings

I. Door lintel with lion-griffins and vase with lotus leaf

This Work of Art housed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art is stated to have once been part of "…a decorated doorway in the north hall of the Main Palace at Hatra." (Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2009) This artistic stone carving contains two creatures with feline-type bodies as well as long ears, wings and crest feathers" and is comprised by animal and bird elements combined which is stated to be "typical of Near Eastern lion-griffins." (Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2009) Depicted between the two figures is a vase that contains a lotus leaf. Religious symbolism in Buddhism contains imagery of the lotus, a flower from which the Creator (Brahma) "sprung" and that the lotus grew out of the navel of Vishnu (a deity) while meditating very deeply. The lotus is also related by the Mahabharata to have sprung from the forehead of Vishnu and the goddess 'Sri' arose out of the lotus. The symbolism of the lotus, depicted in the Mesopotamia stone carving was also evidenced in India beginning approximately 200 B.C. And forward. "Now, that golden Person who is within the sun, who looks down upon the earth from his golden place, is even He who dwells within the lotus of the heart [of man] . . .He who dwells within the lotus of the heart . . . is the same as that solar fire which dwells in the sky. -- 6:1-2 (in Hall, 1974) The lotus is seen in Egyptian art as representative of eternal life and according to the work of J. Andrew McDonald entitled: "Botanical Determination of the Middle Eastern Tree of Life" griffins are often found guarding the lotus plant. In this depiction the griffins are touching the lotus plant which seems to signify their status as immortal beings or representative of the gods.

II. Chair panel of Thutmose IV

The Metropolitan Museum claims the treasure of a fragment of a panel from the chair discovered in the tomb of Thutmose IV in the Valley of the Kings and shown on this panel is a carved low relief believed to have been covered at one time in sheets of gold. The King is depicted as a sphinx and a falcon is pictured as well to represent "the Behedite [Horus] the great god." (Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2009) The falcon's plumage is dappled and represents the giving of "life and dominion." (Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2009) The falcon pictured in this work of art is holding a 'Shen Ring' which is symbolic of eternity and strength. (Masiello, 2008) The falcon in Egyptian art is "…associated with sun-gods." (Hall and Puleston, 1996) The shen is generally held in the claws of the "falcon or Horus" and is believed to "symbolize a temple gateway" in Sumerian art. The representation in this throne panel appears to be a god offering eternal life to Thutmose IV.

III. Human-headed winged lion (lamassu), 883 -- 859 B.C.

The Human-headed winged lion housed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art is from the ninth to seventh century B.C. And is a time when a vast empire located near northern Iraq was ruled over by the kings of Assyria. During this time a new capital was constructed and a wall surrounded the city said to be "120 feet thick, 42 feet high, and 5 miles long." (Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2009) This piece was at one time part of that wall and the artistic depiction is symbolic for the creation in limestone being the 'protector' of this city. This large stone carving which was found in the palace of Ashurnasirpal in Sumer which has the following inscribed on it: "Beasts of the mountains and the seas, which I had fashioned out of white limestone and alabaster, I had set up in its gates. I made it [the palace] fittingly imposing." (Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2009) These "limestone beasts" have the head of human beings and are winged resembling both a bull and a lion. The horned cap is representative of the divinity of the being. From the front these beasts appear to be firmly planted in an unmoving stance however a fifth leg added by the sculptor causes the limestone beasts to appear to be moving with a forward stride when viewed from the side. These beings known as 'lamassi' were the protectors of key Assyrian palace doorways.

IV. Beaker (kero), 5th -- 9th century Peru; Tiwanaku Wood

The fourth and final artistic work examined in this study is that of a Beaker that has been dated 5th to 9th century Peru. This beaker is cylindrically shaped and the sides are flared and is a vessel that is believed to have been used for drinking "chica" or "corn beer" and as well it is believed that the beaker was a ceremonial instrument. The beaker features "four anthropomorphized winged figures in low but crisp relief." (Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2009) Each of the four figures carries in its right hand a staff said to be symbolic of "status and authority" (Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2009) and two of the figures have the face of a feline and the other two figures have raptor faces. The two feline figures are gazing upward and the two raptor figures are facing forward. On the tops of the wings are heads of animals. While the use of feathers and wings in Peruvian art is little studied (Giuntini, 2006) it is understood that feathers were highly symbolic in the social classes of early Peruvians. Feather of all kinds have been found buried alongside ancient Peruvian individuals.

Analysis of Religious Art Symbolism and 'Wings'

The work of Hall (1974) entitled: "Illustrated Dictionary of Symbols in Eastern and Western Art" relates that wings on humans and animals in religious art symbolize divinity as well as "the power to give protection." (Hall, 1974) Additionally wings are said to "…denote swiftness when associated with messengers of the gods or with the winds, and may signify the swift passage of time." (Hall, 1974) Depictions of winged figures in western art are stated to be primarily descended from ancient Mesopotamia and winged figures are "ultimately derived from the representation of sacred birds such as the Falcon and Vulture in Egypt and the Eagle in the Near East." (Hall, 1974) Also stated in the work of Hall (1974) is that winged animals are "the outcomes of the merging of characteristics of different gods, thus the wings of the Egyptian vulture-goddess, Nekhbet, appear on the back of the bull-god Apis; a combination of eagle and lion deities, which took place in the Near East about the 18th century BC and resulted in producing the Griffin." (Hall, 1974)