The processional way leading to what is known as the Ishtar Gate in ancient Babylon was built by the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar II between 604 and 562 BCE. It was lined with glazed bricks that formed panels depicting sacred animals: bulls, lions and "dragons." The dragon is actually a composite creature with the head and scales of a snake, the front legs of a lion, the hind legs of an eagle, and the stinger of a scorpion. It represents Mushhushshu, a mythical creature that was a symbol of Marduk, the main deity of Babylon, and it was believed to serve as a protective talisman for the city.
These molded and glazed baked bricks were excavated in Babylon at the turn of the twentieth century and taken to Berlin, where they were assembled into a scaled model of the original structure. The DIA acquired this dragon panel that was not included in the reconstruction. It is the only example of a Mushhushshu from Babylon in North America.
Let the dragon protect you too--hang the magnet in your home or office!
Measures 3 1/8 x 2 1/8 in.
