Assyrian Palace Research Paper

ANCIENT EGYPT AND ASSYRIAN PALACE DECORATIVE ELEMENTS

In studying the decorative techniques used within Assyria and ancient Egypt, we see vast similarities in the use of materials and basic ornamental styles, that suggests that the two styles may have been influenced by one another at some point in time. Specifically, the Assyrian palace at Persepolis and those found at Mesopotamia, Megiddo and Sargon, are comparable to Malkata, the ancient Egyptian palace built for Amenhotep III, (Wikipedia, Ancient Egyptian Palaces) in that both employed the use of stacked, mud brick or adobe brick in the construction of the walls. The walls of the Assyrian palaces were then embellished by incorporating glazed vitreous brick; whereas, the Egyptian palaces were constructed of grey limestone or dark grey marble, often with a green colored stucco covering the mud brick walls.
Both the ancient Assyrian and Egyptian palaces relied heavily upon decorations in the form of facades constructed using bas reliefs. These reliefs were comprised of brightly painted colored stone, incorporating terracotta panels, and opulent detail such as gold and zinc plating, enameled tiles and embedded lapis lazuli. These materials were used to create richly colored facades which showed historical references to the king’s military might
(Wikipedia, Ancient Assyrian Palaces) While vases made of stone, clay and porcelain modeled after Egyptians examples in favored blue faience glass, enjoyed popularity, along with decorative elements created in quartz, mica and ivory as architectural inlays. Massive stone sculptures of mythological figures and representing animals such as bulls and lions were often utilized as to flank gates and major passageways throughout the palace grounds, and these symbolized narrative accounts of the king’s achievements, represented by stone slabs on the