Neo-Assyrian wall panel
- Gallery: Room 10a
- Culture: Neo-Assyrian
- Date: 700BC-692BC
- Object type: wall panel, relief
- Materials: gypsum
- Museum number: 124913
- Museum: The British Museum
- Collection record: British Museum website
- Image © The Trustees of the British Museum, shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 licence.
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About this object
Before you is a Neo-Assyrian wall panel carved from gypsum, depicting part of a larger scene from a royal campaign. This panel shows horses in the bodyguard of King Sennacherib, along with what appears to be a camp complete with tents, servants, and a standard. The figures are arranged carefully, capturing both movement and detail.
This gypsum relief once adorned the palace walls at Nineveh, where Sennacherib ruled from 704 to 681 BC. The panel continues a sequence, forming part of a royal entourage that includes cavalry and chariots. The layout of the Assyrian camp is shown in a flattened, bird’s-eye view, revealing structures and activities like two men chatting over a drink in one of the tents.
Made between 700 and 692 BC, this panel reflects military life and royal pageantry. It was likely cast for replication, offering insight into Assyrian art and history through a durable copy.
See it in person
Neo-Assyrian wall panel is on display in Room 10a at the British Museum on Great Russell Street, Bloomsbury, London — free to enter. Choose British Museum on audioguide.london and take a photo of it to hear this free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
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