Jewellery, Watches and Objects of Vertu

An Assyrian Revival gold hinged bangle, circa 1870, of broad convex form, decorated throughout with raised Assyrian figures, the ‘Protective Spirits’, including the human headed winged lion and guardians - the ‘ugallu’ and the ‘urmahlilu’, finely chased and applied to a textured ground, between beaded borders, unmarked, external width 65mm, internal width 50mm. £2,000-£3,000

A very similar bangle to this lot was included in the British Museum’s exhibition: ‘I am Ashurbanipal, king of the world, king of Assyria’ held 8 November 2018 - 24 February 2019. The bangle is of identical construction, but depicts a lion hunt with chariot and winged genies. Although the maker has not been identified, it can be assumed the bangle offered here for sale is by the same jeweller. ( See BM Exhibition catalogue, No. 320, page 311).

The bangle decoration takes inspiration from the gypsum relief panels entitled ‘Protective Spirits’, circa 645-640 BC, from the North Palace, Nineveh, from the reign of Ashurbanipal, King of the Assyrian Empire 669-631 BC. Ashurbanipal is generally remembered as the last great King of Assyria. The Protective Spirits were believed to guard the King’s residences and prevent dangerous supernatural forces from entering - the ‘ugallu’ (Great Lion) was represented with a lion head with upright ears, and feet of eagles’ tallons, the raised hand holding a dagger, the lower hand a mace, a symbol of authority: the ‘urmahlilu’ (Lion Man) was half man, half lion and associated with guarding the bathing rooms. These vast panels were shipped back from Nineveh in 1847 after their discovery in the 1840s, to be housed in the British Museum where they still remain. (Ref: 1856, 0909.25).

The ruins of the ancient Assyrian empire in Mesopotamia were discovered in the mid 19th century by British and French archaeologists. In the 9th - 7th centuries BC, the kings of Assyria had forged the greatest empire the region had ever known, the grandest city being Nineveh, which was excavated by the British archaeologist Sir Austen Henry Layard in 1847, creating international interest.

Nothing of Assyrian art was known until this time, in contrast to the Greek and Egyptian civilisations, but from the ancient cities of Babylon and Nineveh, described in the Bible, there were few antiquities. When the great winged bulls and lions and the sculptured reliefs from the Assyrian palaces at Khorsabad, Nimrud and Nineveh were shipped back to the Louvre and the British Museum, they provided dramatic visual evidence of this lost culture.

Assyrian style jewellery was almost exclusively a British phenomenon, although it was not widely taken up by jewellers. Three leading London firms showed ‘Nineveh’ inspired jewels at the 1851 Exhibition - Hunt & Roskell, Garrard and Watherston & Brogden. it was then nearly two decades from the 1840s discoveries before the Assyrian revival style really took hold, reaching its peak around 1872-4. The designs of the big Bond Street firms were quickly imitated by other jewellers. Some exceptional pieces were made in coloured enamels by Backes & Strauss, but most Assyrian style jewellery was plain gold, with relief designs copying scenes from the Assyrian palace sculptures now at the British Museum, such as the bangle offered here for sale. Other examples were made by jewellers such as Bright & Sons of Scarborough, who exhibited bracelets at the London exhibition of 1872.


Literature:
Charlotte Gere & Judy Rudoe: Jewellery in the Age of Queen Victoria; pub. The British Museum Press, 2010, pages 387-395.
The BP exhibition I am Ashurbanipal; ed. Gareth Brereton, pub. Thames & Hudson, The British Museum 2018.