Relief of a lion hunt
- Audio guide stop: 214
- Gallery: Room 10a
- Audio guide: one commentary for a group of objects shown together
- Museum: The British Museum
- Image © The Trustees of the British Museum, shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 licence.
Listen to the free audio guide
About these objects
These reliefs depict the grand lion hunts of Ashurbanipal, the last great Assyrian king. Carved from gypsum around 640 BCE, they were originally part of the North Palace in Nineveh. The panels show Ashurbanipal in his chariot, shooting arrows at lions, while attendants and warriors protect him from dangerous beasts. Some reliefs show the king’s preparation for the hunt, others the aftermath with hunters bringing back slain animals.
Look for the panel featuring Ashurbanipal in his high hat, racing through an arena with lions attacking his chariot. Another striking piece shows a wounded lion leaping at the king while soldiers and hounds control the chaos. These vivid carvings were not just art—they were a symbol of royal power and skill, meant to impress visitors to the palace of Ashurbanipal.
See it in person
Relief of a lion hunt 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 type its audio guide stop number, 214, from the gallery label, or take a photo of it, to hear this free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
New, in beta. British Museum support has just launched and is still improving: over 1,000 objects so far, with more added all the time.
