Gudea of Lagash Ends Long Journey

Sometimes an archaeological discovery permits us to glimpse the soul of an ancient man—to “see” one person who loved, hated, inspired fear or respect. When the discovery is a work of art, fashioned by a gifted pair of unknown hands thousands of years ago, it is a precious legacy, one that no quantity of pottery sherds, or carefully drawn balks, or sophisticated pollen analyses can match for its human message. Such a piece of art was acquired recently by the Detroit Institute of Arts. It is a full-length standing figure, 16 1/8 inches high, of Gudea of Lagash, who […]