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Assyrian gestures in Sasanian art (1)

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Topics (move over topic to see place in topic list) Pointed index finger 02 Religious and ideological symbols and iconographic motifs 02.09 Symbolism of gestures 02.09.02 Pointed index finger	Keywords Iran symbolism
Period Sasanid Empire	Channel Iconographic tradition Iranian culture

Text
The gesture occurring in the Sasanian iconography is the person with the bent finger. This is a well-known symbol in the ancient Near East, widely used especially by the Assyrians as a sign of adoration before a deity.

Bibliography

Frye 1972, 105

Frye, R. N. “Gestures of Deference to Royalty in Ancient Iran.” Iranica Antiqua 9 (1972) 102-107.

Andrea Piras

URL for this entry: http://www.aakkl.helsinki.fi/melammu/database/gen_html/a0000726.php

Illustrations (click an image to view the full-size version in a new window)

Fig. 1: Sasanian rock relief depicting the investiture of king Ardašir I (from http://www.livius.org/).

Fig. 2: Detail of the above.

Fig. 3: Arad-Nirari III stela found at Tell al-Rimah (image from Iraq 30 (1968) Pl. XXXVIII).

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