FLOOR.] 
NIMEOUD GALLEEY. 
75 
who succeeded his father, Sardanapalus the Great, about b.c. 902. 
The bas-reliefs illustrate the presentation of offerings to the king by 
his numerous tributaries, and the inscriptions record the names of the 
donors, amongst whom are Jehu "of the house of Omri," the 
Israelitish king, and Hazael, the contemporary king of Syria. 
The remainder of the Nimroucl collection belongs altos'etlier 
to the period of Sardanapalus the Great, the earliest Assyrian 
monarch of whom any large monuments have been procured, 
and who is believed to have reigned about B.C. 980—902. 
The sculptures were found by Mr. Layard partly in the ruins 
of an extensive edifice at tlie North-west quarter of Nimroud, 
and pa^rtly in two small adjacent temples of the same date, 
one of which was dedicated to the Assyrian " God of War." 
Beside the door into the Kouyunjik Gallery is a colossal lion, which, 
with a companion figure, decorated the sides of a doorway in one of 
the small temples just mentioned. It is covered with inscriptions, 
and, like all the figures found in similar situations, provided with five 
legs, so as to appear perfect both from the front and the side. 
Near this stands a small statue, on its original pedestal, found in 
the same temple with the lion, and representing Sardanapalus. 
Of the remains of the North-west edifice the principal are a colossal, 
winged, and human-headed lion and bull, not originally forming a pair, 
but taken from two difi^erent doorways. Though of smaller dimensions 
than usual, they are, both in delicacy of execution and excellence of 
preservation, amongst the finest specimens of Assyrian art. 
The South door leads into tlie 
NIMEOUD GALLERY. 
This room contains a continuation of the series last de- 
scribed. The bas-reliefs on the West side were all found in one 
chamber of the North-west edifice. Those on the opposite 
side are partly fi'om other chambers of the same edifice, partly 
from the small adjacent temple of the "God of War.'' The 
slabs with large figures bear inscriptions running horizontally 
across the middle ; those with small figures have generally had 
inscriptions on the border above and below, though these have 
in man}^ instances been cut off in ancient times. The double 
row of slabs occupying the greater part of the West side is 
arranged exactly as in the original building, excepting that a 
break occurs in one place, where some slabs have been lost. 
The folloAving are the most interesting subjects m this room, 
