floor] 
NIMKOUD CENTRAL SALOON. 
■73 
Towards the North end of the room is the upper part of another 
obelisk of the same king, also discovered by Mr. Rassam. 
Towards the South end, a circular bowl in limestone, procured by- 
Mr. Layard, and sculptured with bas-reliefs of men and lions. 
Two Table-cases in the middle of the room contain small 
objects discovered in various excavations. In the Southern 
Case are those found at Kouyunjik, consisting of — 
Some clay statuettes of the fish-god, called in Scripture "Dagon;" 
a clay tablet inscribed with cuneiform, or arrowheaded characters, con- 
taining the name of Ashurbanipal ; several seals of the same material, 
impressed with Assyrian characters, and two of them having also the 
name of the Ethiopian king, Sabaco, who may thence be inferred to 
have made a treaty with the Assyrians ; a collection of fragments of 
small glass vases, of uncertain age, many of which have acquired, from 
decomposition, the most beautiful iridescent hues; an axe-head and 
some remains of chain-mail armour, in iron, and implements of various 
kinds in bronze ; with a few miscellaneous articles, of later date than 
the Assyrian Empire. 
In the Northern Table-case are the following objects from 
Babylonia and Susiana : — 
Some small figures of baked clay, and some inscribed conical tablets, 
belonging to the early Chaldsean Empire, from Warka ; several square 
clay tablets, covered with cuneiform inscriptions, and some enclosed 
within an external clay casing, also inscribed, from Tel-Sifr; some 
bronze weapons, and rude terracotta bas-reliefs, probably of a late 
period, from Sinkara ; some bronze implements, and flint knives or 
spear-heads, from Muqueyer; and a few small terracotta statuettes, 
discovered by Mr. Loftus at Susa, and supposed to represent the Venus 
of the Oriental mythology. 
NIMROUD CENTRAL SALOON. 
With this room commences the series of sculptures exca- 
vated by Mr. Layard in 1847 and 1850. in different parts of 
the great mound at Nimroud ; with which have recently been 
placed one or two sculptures since obtained by Mr. Rassam 
from the same locality. 
To the left of the door, on entering from the Kouyunjik 
Gallery, is the latest group in this collection, consisting of 
sculptures discovered in the South-western edifice of the great 
mound, which is believed to have been constructed by Essar- 
haddon, the son and successor of Sennacherib, towards the 
beginning of the seventh century B.C., with materials obtained, 
