Posted on 02/10/2024 6:33:53 PM PST by nickcarraway
The 3D-printed reproduction of the Assyrian statue was previously displayed at the Colosseum in Rome and the Unesco headquarters in Paris
Italy has donated a reconstructed Assyrian statue to Iraq in what has been described as a “miracle of Italian cultural diplomacy”. Constructed in the ninth century BC, the 5m-tall Bull of Nimrud was destroyed by Isis fighters in 2015, before Italian artisans made a copy of the monument using 3D-printing technology. The replica, which was previously displayed at the Colosseum in Rome and the Unesco headquarters in Paris, has now been permanently relocated outside the entrance to the Basrah Museum.
“Italy is at the forefront of safeguarding cultural heritage because it is the soul of a nation and embodies its history,” Gennaro Sangiuliano, Italy’s culture minister, said in a statement read out at an inauguration ceremony at the museum attended by Italian and Iraqi officials on Tuesday. “It will therefore continue to make every effort to advance international collaboration in the field of cultural heritage protection and to work for the enhancement of the heritage of humanity.”
Francesco Rutelli, the former culture minister whose Associazione Incontro di Civiltà had spearheaded the plans to make the replica, wrote on Facebook: “Here is a light, a precious Italian light”. He added that the donation was “a small miracle of Italian soft power, of our cultural diplomacy”.
Former culture minister Francesco Rutelli and Italian president Sergio Mattarella at the Colosseum exhibition in 2016 © Italian ministry of culture
The ancient city of Nimrud, near modern-day Mosul, was the magnificent capital of Ashurbanipal II (883–859 BC), the Assyrian king who constructed an enormous palace in the city decorated with bas reliefs and numerous “lamassu”, lion and winged-bull statues with bearded human heads. Isis stormed the archaeological site in 2015 and destroyed precious artefacts with bulldozers and explosives. The Bull of Nimrud, which stood at the site and is a symbol of the Assyrian civilisation, was among the destroyed monuments.
Following the attack, a team of restorers led by Nicola Salvioli studied photos and videos of the monument, allowing them to make a model in polystyrene. A 3D printer was then used to make a fibreglass copy that was covered with plastic substances mixed with stone dust to make it appear more authentic. The project was financed by the Associazione Incontro di Civiltà.
The copy at the Basrah Museum © Italian Ministry of Culture
The bull was displayed at a 2016 exhibition at the Colosseum titled Rinascere dalle distruzioni. Ebla, Nimrud, Palmira alongside two other reconstructions: of a portion of a ceiling of the Temple of Bel in Palmyra, and the archive room of the Ebla Palace. The following year, it was relocated to the Unesco headquarters in Paris, where it stood outside the entrance as “a symbol of the organisation’s commitment to share history and transmit the values it carries to future generations”, Unesco said.
The bull’s return to Iraq follows a high profile restitution to the country in June, when Italy handed a tablet engraved with cuneiform text and the insignia of the Assyrian king Shalmaneser III, Ashurbanipal’s successor, to Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid during a state visit to Italy. The circumstances surrounding the tablet's arrival in Italy remain unclear.
Italy does a number of things really well... food being one, with the whole field of archaeological preservation/restoration/reproduction being a close second.
After living there for three months in 2022, I can see why, with masterpieces in parish churches on every corner.
if there’s one thing this world needs, it is a reconstructed pagan idol. I’ve always said that.
Italy better hang on to that software because the troglodytes in Iraq will probably destroy the copy too.
I always tell peop;e that if you’re a tourist interested in art and history (and food), Italy blows away every other European country. England, France, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Austria, the Low Countries... they all their charms... but in terms of bang-for-the-buck experiences for the visitor, Italy beats them all... hands down.
**if there’s one thing this world needs, it is a reconstructed pagan idol. I’ve always said that.**
The latest pagan idol will be on display tomorrow, before, in between plays, and immediately after the Stupid Bowl.
(I feel rather certain, even though I won’t be watching it)
The Whore of Babylon, indeed.
Ah, I see that you too object to the worship of Baal and his demigods footbaal, basebaal, basketbaal, and soccer baal.
Occasionally you can hear cheerleaders shouting “Ra, Ra, Ra”. They will be imploring the Sun god to shine on them in a fortuitous way.
“The sun god! The one god! Ra! Ra! Ra!”
My two sons were starters on a combined 3 IL state high school championships. While it was quite entertaining, the emphasis was over the top. And the 5 game post-season process is far from perfect. It’s not uncommon for the two best teams in a class to meet in the second or third round.
I listened to a former HS football coach give his view of the whole thing, when asked by a local radio sportscaster, about his memories from winning a title 40 years previous.
I was surprised they aired it (pre-recorded; WRMJ fm, Aledo, IL), because that guy really nailing the fact that too much emphasis is put on getting that title. He mentioned former players of his, lamenting years later, wishing they could get that same ‘high’ they had at the end of that game. A game was their high point in life; not getting married, not becoming a father, NOT finding Jesus Christ. (I added that last one)
Around 20 years ago, one of the winningest IL high school basketball coaches suddenly retired. His reason: kids were going to tournaments on weekends and in the summer, which put strains on families being families going to church, or other family functions. He said the emphasis on the sport shouldn’t be year round.
Funny, I’ve always felt bad for the kids who were the superstars in high school because they always spend the rest of their lives looking back at their glory days.
It must be awful for these kids to hit college or a career where no one gives a damn that they made a touchdown in some forgotten and obscure game. Or that they dated the captain of the basketball team.
I should feel fortunate that I was never any good at anything. But I was a good kid. Unlike my brother who was a holy terror. My parents tried everything to rein him in. Even money. They bribed him to be good but I was good for nothing.
The former hs football coach, that won a title 40 years ago last fall, did so at a neighboring school district. IL schools had joined the national trend of post-season play 9 years before (1974).
That simply ramped up the emphasis to win, with every school wanting a state trophy. Unfortunately, a KID can end up lamenting all his life a missed tackle, block, a fumble, etc, because he ‘cost’ his school a state title. Pretty sad.
But we make ‘gods’ out of athletes. Or we say, “but this or that athlete glorifies Jesus with his testimony”. I guess that’s better than not doing so.
I would agree: we spent three months in Rome but still missed so many things we’ll be going back for another stay. We rented an apartment and shopped at the local grocery stores: it was like food and wine from the best gourmet delis at Walmart prices.
At least give attribution to R.A. Wilson if you’re going to borrow his lines...
Oy’m stealing that, Oy am!
RA RA RA Wilson?
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