The Concept of Authority in Ancient Iraqi Art: Assyria as a Model

Abstract

The current research consisted of four chapters that included the first chapter, of which the methodological framework for the research and the definition of the research problem, which was summarized by the question" Is there an impact of the concept of authority on ancient Iraqi art?" It also included the importance and need for research. The research goal is represented in knowing the concept of authority in ancient Iraqi art. The limits of the research were limited to dealing with the concept of authority in the Assyrian era in the time period between 1392 BC - 934 BC. While the second chapter (the theoretical framework) included representations of authority in ancient Iraqi art in all its eras and the data of those eras and their effects on the Assyrian society.As well as the indicators reached by the theoretical framework and previous studies. As for the third chapter (research procedures), it includesdemonstrating the concept of authority through the nature of power prevailing among the Assyrians with such scenes; and the artist was influenced by the structures of time and place and the extent of the spatial occupations of the place and has a relationship with the concept of the sovereignty of the image in terms of the king and the goddess.The study concluded that the ancient Iraqi artist searches for the truth of things despite the authority imposed on him and searches for the truth of art by glorifying the king and the gods, and the Assyrian artist must be aware of the dominance of the strong discourse of power.