ARCHAIC CYLINDERS: THE EAGLE OF LAGASH. 31 
One of the most frequent designs on these archaic cylinders is a mythologic 
bird, which has been called the eagle of Lagash. For a further consideration of 
this emblem see Chapter Lx1x. It can be best understood from its representation 
on the vase of Entemena (see Heuzey, “Le Vase d’argent Entéména’’) (fig. 56). 

aS NN. ay 
wee YEA s 
CBOEEEISHD 
51 58 
This eagle has been designated the Standard of Lagash by Heuzey, who first studied 
it in this fine silver vase brought from Tello (also called Lagash or Shirpurla) by 
M. de Sarzec. ‘The Chaldean artists of this earliest period delighted in variations 
of the design, representing the eagle as seizing in its talons two lions or bulls or 
ibexes. In fig. 57 he seizes two reversed ibexes by the horns. This is an unusually 
short cylinder and thicker than usual, and of only one register. The bilateral 
symmetry of the eagle between the two ibexes is repeated, by the hero being placed 
between them on the other side and seizing each ibex by the leg. The extremely 
archaic drawing of the hero will be observed, with the bird-like head and the simple 
girdle around his waist holding probably the breech-cloth. 
Another example of the same design is seen in fig. 58, 
in which the ibexes fallen on one knee are seized by the 
upper foreleg or breast. ‘This cylinder is remarkable for 
what is, before the Hittite period, the very unusual, if not 
unique, design of a rope-pattern in the lower register, not to 
be expected before the Hittite period. See also figs. 95 and 
108a. In fig. 59 we have the same design, but the eagle’s tail is greatly extended. 
We must assign to a somewhat later period the unusually elaborate design in 
fig. 60, although the inscription of a dupshar, or scribe, is in a very early style, but 




| 





\ 
VY : 
WY 
WV VV 
Al 
| 
YZ, 

63 
the heads of the human figures appear considerably less archaic than those in most 
cylinders which bear this design of the eagle of Lagash. This cylinder, which is of 
quartz, is in three registers, and shows in the middle register two eagles alter- 
nating with rams, which they seize on each side, one by the fore legs, the other 
