Relief with Winged Genius, Nimrud, reign of Ashurnasirpal II
This relief decorated an interior wall of the palace of King Ashurnasirpal II at Nimrud. The genius, a benevolent deity identified as divine by his horned headdress and wings, holds a cone in one hand and a bucket in the other as he anoints a sacred tree that would have appeared on the adjoining relief. The winged genius acquired a protective function and was often placed as a guardian on either side of doorways. The bulging musculature of the arms and legs as well as teh solid, upright pose project a sense of strength.