- Winged genie
Winged genie is the conventional term for a recurring motive in Assyrian iconography.Winged genies are bearded male figures sporting birds'
wing s. A frequent motive is that of two winged genies pollinating adate tree (sometimes identified as theTree of Life ), but also as guarding or blessing royal figures.Winged genies co-existed with numerous other
mythological hybrid s in the Early Iron Age art of Assyria and Asia Minor. They influencedArchaic Greece during its "orientalizing period ", resulting in the hybrid creatures of Greek mythology such as the Chimera, theGriffin orPegasus and, int the case of the "winged man",Talos . The orientalizing period has its origin in Early Iron Age (9th century BC)Crete , where bearded and winged figures clearly inspired by Assyrian templates are found engraved in bronze bowls and other artefacts. [John D. Pendlebury, "The Archaeology of Crete" (1991), p. 336; [http://www.cycladic.gr/frontoffice/portal.asp?cpage=resource&cresrc=1176&cnode=55 The "orientalizing" period in Greek art] ]The "winged man" also makes an appearance among the
Chayot ofEzekiel 'sMerkabah vision, and via becomes the symbol ofMatthew the Evangelist . TheSeraphim ofIsaiah (6:1–3) have six wings each.References
ee also
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Assyrian art
*Winged sun
*Faravahar
*Seraph External links
*http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/ho/04/wam/ho_1989.361.1.htm
*http://www.clevelandart.org/explore/work.asp?searchText=winged+genie&tab=2&recNo=0
*http://www.museu.gulbenkian.pt/obra.asp?num=118&nuc=a3&lang=pt
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