Figurine of a God on a Chariot
Unknown · Sukkalmah period, c. 2000-1500 BC
A bearded god sits astride a small chariot, gripping a palm frond in one hand and a second object, perhaps an axe, in the other. His ears are those of a bull, and his tiara, whose horns have broken away, is crowned by a coiled serpent. He wears the tufted kaunakes garment of Mesopotamian tradition. Of the chariot only the seat with its straight back, the front panel of two rounded posts and the axles remain; the wheels are gone.
Cast in copper, the figurine dates to the time of the Sukkalmah rulers of Elam, in the first half of the second millennium BC. The serpent and the bull's ears connect him to the Elamite pantheon, where snakes were a symbol of the waters beneath the earth and of the great god of Susa. Small metal images like this were probably votive gifts placed in a sanctuary. The piece was found at Susa by the French excavations and entered the Louvre under the partage of finds. It is a rare survival of an Elamite god shown riding rather than standing or enthroned.
Did You Know? The snake curled on top of his headdress was a sign of divine power in Elam, where serpents were linked to underground water.
Unlock the Full Guide
Read every room and listen to every work in all museums with premium.