Two new prints of Layards excavations at Nimrud.

[1]

Two new print of Layard’s excavations at Nimrud: an artist at Nimrud and

Nineveh1.

This paper presents prints of two previously unpublished water colours depicting the

excavation of slabs and sculptures found during Layard’s excavations at Nimrud in June

1850. Though neither image is signed, an identification of the artist as S.C. Malan is

probable. Gadd’s (1938) study of Malan’s drawings concentrated on his work at Nineveh.

This paper focuses on the sketches made at Nimrud and completes the catalogue of

pictures Malan drew at both sites (Appendix A) and publishes the previously unpublished

Nimrud and Nineveh drawings.

Introduction

This paper presents prints of two previously unpublished water colours depicting the

excavation of slabs and sculptures found during Layard’s excavations at Nimrud in June

1850. Though neither image was signed, an identification of the artist as S.C. Malan is

probable. The prints were bought as a pair from a London gallery in December 1999.

Both were accompanied by a small card-board notice bearing, in black ‘India ink’, the

word ‘Nimroud’. The gallery bought the pictures at a public auction in 1996 and had

information neither about the previous owners nor of the history of the prints.

Description of the prints

The prints, neither of which are signed or dated, are pencil line drawings with water

colour colouring. Both are firm card with no blank area framing about the images both

measuring 23.5 x 34 cm. There is nothing to suggest that the prints should not be dated to

the late 19th

century. They are self standing and were show no indication of having been

bound.

The Šarrat nipḫi lions (Figure 1) Though lacking a title the scene in the first print is immediately recognisable as that of

the lions flanking the entrance to the Šarrat nipḫi (the Bēlit māti of older publications)

shrine at Nimrud.

The shrine was originally excavated by Layard in his second expedition to Iraq in 1849-

51 (1853: 358-62). The area was re-excavated by Mallowan (1966, i: 92) and later again

by the Iraqi Department of Antiquities (Agha et al: 1976: Pl.7). Reade (2002: 181-94)

summarised and discussed the various excavations which reveal that the shrine was

located within the north western sector of the mound and south west of the ziggurat (ibid,

fig.2), but that it was only partially excavated. The most striking feature recovered was

two large statues of lions flanking a door leading into the shrine (probably from an inner

courtyard). The eastern lion was damaged and in poor condition. The western lion was

removed by Layard and is now in the British Museum (BM ANE 118895).

The scene of the excavated lions, doorway, some finds, and one of the Arab workmen

(for scale and interest) was captured in water colour by F. Cooper (ibid, 183, fig. 41).

1 This paper is presented as a small homage to Dr Dominique Collon whose work on iconography has

illuminated so many issues and enriched understanding of Babylonian and Assyrian culture.

[2]

This picture was used as the basis for Layard’s publication of the excavation (Layard

1853: facing page 361). The view is from the west directly into the doorway through

which part of the excavated room can be seen.

Figure 1: The entrance to the Šarat nipḫi shrine.

The Ninurta Temple (Figure 2)

This sketch would appear to be unfinished and lacks the detail of the drawing of the

Šarrat nipḫi shrine. It depicts two stone slabs from an entrance to the Ninurta temple at

Nimrud with Anzu on the left pursued by Ninurta on the right2. Ninurta is in striking pose

with bolts of lightning in his right hand and a mace (?) in his upraised left hand. The slabs

are shown partially excavated with their lower portions still beneath the ground. The fact

that the scene is one of an excavation in progress is further indicated by a basket and pick

at the lower left corner of the painting. The pick and the sky at the top left corner are

depicted in blue. They are the only elements so highlighted and the rest of the image is

done in pencil and brown wash.

The Ninurta Temple has been excavated variously by Layard (1853: 348-58), Rawlinson

(Gadd 1938: 82) and Mallowan (1966, i: 84-92). Reade (2002: 167-81 and 186-94)

2 The tale of the battle between Ninurta and the Anzu bird, who had stolen the Tablets of Destiny from

Enlil survives in two poems – one written in the Old Babylonian period and a second in the Middle and late

Assyrian and Neo-Babylonian versions (Foster 1996: 458-81). Collon (2006) discusses the imagery of

Ninurta and the scene depicted in this print (ibid, 101).

[3]

reviewed the results of this work. The slabs depicted in this sketch were excavated by

Layard’s workmen at some point before mid-May 1850 when Layard returned to the site

from an extended trip (Layard 1853: 348). They were found flanking the south inner face

of the entrance to Room c of the Ninurta Temple. By mid-July 1850 Layard had removed

the slabs and sent them down the Tigris river for onward despatch to London (ibid, 364).

F.C. Cooper’s painting (original now lost, cf. Reade 2002: 142, Fig. 6) of the scene was

used by Layard, acknowledging Cooper as the artist, when he published the results of his

excavations (1853: facing page 351). The slabs on the northern inner face were drawn by

C.S. Malan (Gadd 1938: 120, Pl. XV; Curtis and Reade 1995: 211; Appendix A: No. 16).

The slabs in this new illustration were removed to the British Museum (Ninurta, ANE

124572; Anzu, ANE 124571).

Figure 2: Slabs at the entrance to the Ninurta temple.

Dating the drawings

The sketches published here are clearly either working drawings or drawings made in

haste and never completed. This is particularly true of the slabs at the Ninurta Temple.

They both show scenes of excavation in progress and are not idealised tableaus. This

suggests that they were completed at Nimrud during Layard’s excavations. As we know

that the slabs and lions in the drawings were excavated before May 1850 and removed for

[4]

transportation to London by the 11th

of July of the same year (cf. Layard 1853: 364-5) the

drawings must have been executed in situ between May and early July 1850.

As to the prints, any details the artist may have had on the originals were altered and

removed. This is true of annotations giving dates and locations as we can see from the

versions published by Layard (1853).

The images in the prints bear a marked similarity to those in the Malan portfolio of

drawings. Both were originally sketched on site in pencil. In some cases details were

coloured using watercolour. The images depicted in the prints have are fully coloured in a

way that the original drawings are not. This is almost certainly a process conducted

specifically for the print.

A similar print in colour of Malan’s sketch of the north side of the entrance to the Temple

of Ninurta (Appendix A, no. 16) appears online3. It is a partner to the Ninurta temple

print discussed above. However, I am unable to verify the nature of the original image

now hosted on the website. It does suggest that at some point some of Malan’s sketches

were used to create prints the use of which is unclear. It is also unclear why, if this did

happen, were the original sketches on which the prints published here were not reserved,

while the original drawing of the print seen on the internet was.

Artists at Nimrud

Turner (1998: 16-7) lists the various artists who visited Layard at Mosul during his

second season of excavations at Nineveh and Nimrud, 1849-1851, and who made

drawings while there.4 Of this group only two – F.C. Cooper (Turner 2003: 197-9) and

the Reverend Caesar Solomon Malan – were at Nimrud in June/ July 1850 when the slabs

and lions were excavated. T.S. Bell, who replaced the sick Cooper, did not arrive in

Mosul until March 1851 (ibid, 198). There were other visitors to Mosul at this time

(Layard 1853: 363-4) and though it is not recorded that they did so, they may have drawn

at Nimrud. Of course Layard himself was an accomplished artist who made drawings of

much that he excavated (Turner 2003: 196-7).

Malan and Layard

Solomon Caesar Malan (1812-1894) was a distinguished biblical and oriental scholar

whose death was marked by an obituary in The Times (28 November 1894, age 6)5. His

work and life were recently celebrated at a three day conference at Wadham College

Oxford University in August 2012. Malan’s son, A.N. Malan, wrote a largely turgid

biography of his father (1897). A.N. Malan inherited ten folios with 1614 drawings and

sketches done by his father (ibid, 211-2). In 1937 Volume IV of this collection (Malan

1850) was given by A.N. Malan to the British Library (Add. Ms. 45.360; Gadd 1938:

3 http://www.odysseyadventures.ca/articles/layard_assyria/articles layard and at http//oaid.co.uk image

number OAID.d5c34. 4 See also a discussion of the 38 drawings of Sennacherib’s palace at Nineveh made by H.A. Churchill in

1849 when Layard was not himself at the site (Barnett 1998: 16). 5 See also the summary of Malan’s seminal contribution to the foundation in 1884 of the Indian Institute in

Oxford in the form of his library of 4000 plus books (Evison 2012) and his family background (Amsler

2012).

http://www.odysseyadventures.ca/articles/layard_assyria/articles%20layard%20and%20at%20http/oaid.co.uk

[5]

118). This folio included the drawings Malan made at Nimrud and Nineveh when he

visited in 1850.

Between 10 and 20 June 1850 Malan visited Layard at Mosul (Turner 2003: 208). In the

course of his stay he visited the excavations Layard was conducting at Nimrud and

Nineveh. Malan drew 38 sketches of the work and people at both sites. It is apparent that

Layard and Malan liked each other. On the reverse of a drawing Malan made of a slab at

Nineveh (A.26) Malan wrote ‘This, and every other sketch of Nineveh made by me on

the spot in June 1850, is to be placed at the disposal of Mr Layard for him to publish or

otherwise use in any way he thinks proper, on the sole condition of his returning the

sketches when he no longer requires them’ (signed S.C. Malan Mosul, June 15th

1850;

British Library Add. 45.360, page 113).

It is apparent that Layard had Malan’s drawings in 1851 as he showed them to Lady

Charlotte Guest at Canford (Russell 1997: 85). Malan (who lived circa 40 kms away at

Broadwindsor) himself visited Canford over the New Year’s break in 1852 (ibid).

In his 1853 publication of his work at Nineveh and Nimrud Layard used 17 of Malan’s

drawings. Layard acknowledged Malan’s work – ‘... the rev. Mr Malan, to whom I am

indebted for many beautiful sketches, and of whose kindness in affording me these

valuable illustrations I again seize the opportunity of making grateful acknowledgement

... ‘ (Layard 1853: 363-4). Malan approved of the published versions. In a letter (24

February 1853) to Layard’s aunt, Mrs Austen, Malan commented ‘... the lithographs are

better than the first and some of the woodcuts are very good. Mr Chevalier’s6 design is

very interesting indeed and very well done ...’ (BL Add. 58.223, 164-5).

Malan did collect his drawings and paintings which he assembled in a series of bound

volumes. The folios, including that holding the Nimrud and Nineveh images, are not the

original drawing books used when Malan executed the sketches. This is clearly indicated

not only by the fact that each is now mounted on separate cards, but also the folio

sequence of drawings does not match the date of execution of the drawings themselves.

The significance of the revised order is unclear and it is possible that some of the original

drawings were not selected by Malan for inclusion into his folios. Bleibtreu identified

two drawings now in the collection of the British Museum which although neither are

signed, she attributes to Malan (1998: 143, no. 781; Pl. 518, no. 781; 143, no. 782; Pl.

519). These two pictures further suggest that not all of Malan’s drawings at Nineveh and

Nimrud were included in his folios.

Malan also gave away or sold some of his pictures. In 1855 he sold two pictures to raise

money for a Crimean War Patriotic Fund (Malan 1897: 197). He gave two to Mrs Austen,

6 Nicholas Chevalier, the lithographer for Layard’s book (1853). Chevalier (1828-1902) began life in

Russia and studied art in Switzerland and Germany. Between 1851 and 1854 he was a successful

lithographer in London before moving to Australia where he had a good career as an artist until 1869 when

he joined the Duke of Edinburgh on a round the world cruise. He moved back to London in 1871 where

until 1887 he had a successful career as an artist, including a commission from Queen Victoria. He has had

two biographies (Chevalier 1908 and Day 1981, see also http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/chevalier-

nicholas-3200).

[6]

Layard’s aunt (ibid). In 1890 at least two more were in the hands of private dealers (ibid,

199). After his death, Malan’s folios of drawings passed to his son and in 1938 they were

in the possession of his grandson (Gadd 1938: 118). The near eastern drawings were

subsequently gifted to the British Library where they now are (BL Add 45.360). In 1967

a folio of drawings and paintings Malan made in Cape Town and its surroundings in 1840

were sold and donated to The University of Stellenbosch, Cape Town (Booyens et al

1970).

Malan features neither in Layard’s auto-biography (1903), nor in any of the Layard

biographies (Waterfield 1963; Kubie 1965). However, the men remained friends long

after they met in Mosul. On 25 October 1893, the day after his 50th

wedding anniversary

when Layard had visited him, Malan wrote to Layard ‘... it was a great pleasure to see

you – the hero of Kuyunjik again. How it recalls the days of enjoyment in that famous

land, among all those wonderful monuments of its splendour now gone forever ...’ (BL

Add. 58.168, f.2-3).

Catalogue

The 38 sketches Malan made at Nineveh and Nimrud are nearly all dated (Appendix A).

They show that he did the drawings in eight days between 11 and 20 June 1850. In those

eight days he began his drawings at Nineveh on the 10th

June (Appendix A: No.s 19-23, 5

pictures); and then spent three days working at Nimrud on the 11th

(Appendix A: No.s 1-

2, 2 pictures), 12th

(Appendix A: No.s 3-8, 6 pictures) and 13th

June (Appendix A: No.s

9-16, 8 pictures). Thereafter he worked only at Nineveh on the other side of the river

where he was staying at Mosul on the 15th

(Appendix A: No.s 24-6, 3 pictures), 17th

(Appendix A: No.s 27-8, 2 pictures), 19th

(Appendix A: No.s 29-30, 2 pictures) and the

20th

(Appendix A: No.s 31-6, 6 pictures). His drawing of Layard at work was done on the

19th

(Appendix A: No. 30).

Malan did not preserve his original drawing books. It would appear that at some point he

broke up all the drawing books and assembled his sketches in the folios he passed to his

son. In doing so Malan glued the drawings to a backing with ‘labels’ in his hand stuck at

the bottom of each page. Most of the drawings were annotated by Malan when he made

the drawing. Both annotations are given in the Appendix entries with the folio labels

noted first. Malan was inconsistent in his spelling of Nimrud using ‘Nimrood’ ‘Nimrud’

and ‘Nimroud’ without any obvious logic.

Conclusions

The congruencies of stylistic criteria and dating of the events depicted in the prints along

with Malan’s known visit to Nimrud and Nineveh makes the identification of the artist of

the prints as Malan almost certain. This conclusion is supported by the existence of at

least one other Malan print based on a sketch that survives in his British Library folio.

The prints published here along with the formerly unpublished sketches in Malan’s folio

of work add some details to our understanding of Layard’s work at Nimrud and Nineveh.

The paper also highlights the debt Layard owed to Malan and his drawings and the

relationship between the two men which began and remained warm through their lives.

[7]

Appendix A: Drawings executed by S.C. Malan at Nineveh and Nimrud in June

1850 (British Library Add. Ms. 45360)7. Note: descriptions are omitted of the

published drawings.

Section One: Nimrud

1. Designation8: ‘Nimroud’; Malan no. 154, rev. page 45; annotated in pencil bottom

left ‘Nimrud June 11th

’ [1850].

Dimensions: 18.4 x 4.3 cm

Discussion: The drawing was published, without acknowledgement, by Layard

(1853: 96; 1854: 13). The drawing is reproduced exactly.

Publication: Layard 1853: 96; 1854: 13.

2. Designation: ‘Workmen at Nimrood’; Malan no. 155, rev. page 45; annotated on

the sheet ‘Nimroud June 11th

’ [1850].

Dimensions: 6 x 7,5 cm.

Discussion: Layard (1853: 233) published the drawing without acknowledging

Malan as the artist.

Publication: Layard 1853: 233.

Figure 3: The figures at Entrance D of the throne room of the NW palace, Nimrud (Malan

no. 117, p.33, Appendix A, no.3)

3. Designation: ‘Winged lions, Nimroud’; Malan no. 117, page 33; annotated

bottom left in pencil ‘Nimrood June 12th

[18]50’.

Dimensions: 29.4 x 22.3 cm.

Description: A pencil drawing with brown wash showing two lion men flanking

an entrance. They each hold a caprid in their arms. The figures have fallen

towards one another and nearly touch, and are held apart by two large square

7 Figures 3-11 are published by gracious permission of the British Library.

8 The details are taken from the annotations in British Library Add.Ms. 45.360.

[8]

blocks. The figures are half excavated. An Arab workmen with a hint of yellow in

his scarf, stands to the left.

Discussion: The figures are easily identified as those at the Entrance D into

Chamber B (the throne room) of the North-West palace at Nimrud (cf. Paley et al

1992: 3, 6-7 and 15: Fig.2 and 3, Plate 1, 1.1 and Plate 4.1). Originally excavated

by Layard (1849, i: 68-9) in his first season at Nimrud it was re-excavated by

Mallowan (1966: 103: Plate III; Oates and Oates 2001: 48, Fig.24). In his

publication of the excavation Layard used a version of a painting by F.C. Cooper

(Layard 1853: 337).

Unpublished. Figure 3.

Figure 4: The winged bulls at Entrance b to Room G of the NW Palace, Nimrud 9Malan

no. 130, p.38; Appendix A: no.50).

4. Designation: ‘Winged bulls, Nimrood’; Malan no. 118, page 34; annotated

bottom left in pencil ‘Nimrood June 12th

’ [1850].


Discussion: Gadd (1938: 119) identifies the scene depicted as the entrance to

room f from Courtyard Y in the northwest palace. For a description of the

excavation of the area see Layard (1849, i: 54-5; Plan opposite page 62; 1849, ii:

7-8) and Mallowan (1966, i: 94-107). Layard did not use Malan’s drawing

possibly because he had already published the results of his first season.

Publication: Gadd 1938: 119, Pl. XI.

5. Designation: ‘Winged lions. Nimroud’; Malan no. 130, page 38; annotated

bottom right in pencil ‘Nimroud June 12th

’ [1850].


Description: The first view of the two winged lions also depicted in No. 14 below

drawn the following day. At the rear foot of the left lion two men in Arab dress

are seated. To the left of the lion there is a small section of brick work. Above and

[9]

to the left three figures stand at the edge of the excavation and peer in. Pencil

sketch and brown wash.

Discussion: The figures stood at the entrance b to Room G of the North West

Palace. The area was excavated by Layard’s workmen while he was away from

the site (Layard 1853: 348 and facing page; Meuszyński 1981: 43).

Unpublished. Plate IV.

6. Designation: ‘Lion, Nimroud’; Malan no. 131, page 39; annotated bottom left in

pencil ‘Nimrood June 12th

’ [1850].


Discussion: Gadd (1938: 119) identifies the scene as the entrance to the Temple

of Šarrat nipḫi and the lion as the companion piece to BM 118895 (now in the

British Museum), the excavation of which is described by Layard (1853: 359 and

361). He notes (ibid, 359) that the lion not taken back to London, that is the lion

in the Malan sketch, ‘had been too much injured by fire to bear removal’. Gadd

(1938: 120) notes how the written description does not match the apparent

soundness of the lion in Malan’s drawing. The scene is better known from F.C.

Cooper’s drawing (Layard 1853: 360) which shows the square column as an altar

base and smaller than shown in Malan’s sketch.

Publication: Gadd 1938: 119-20: Pl. XIII.

7. Designation: ‘Excavations. Nimroud’; Malan no. 133, page 41; annotated middle

right ‘Nimrood June 12th

’ [1850].


Description: A scene in one of the excavation tunnels with a hole to the sky at the

centre. A jumble of stone slabs all bearing inscriptions (one with a circular hole in

the middle) with no figurative scenes. In the right foreground two men in local

dress are seated. In the left middle a standing man in local dress stands behind the

slabs with the tunnel going away behind him. In the foreground a man in local

dress lies facing the viewer beside an upturned basket. Pencil sketch with brown

wash.


Figure 5: Inside one of the excavation tunnels at

Nimrud. Precise location unknown (Malan no. 133, p.41; Appendix A: no.7).

[10]

8. Designation: ‘At Nimroud’; Malan no. 135, page 43; annotated bottom left in

pencil ‘Nimroud June 12th

’ [1850].

Dimensions: 29.3 x 22 cm.

Discussion: Gadd (1938: 120-1) notes the difficulty of identifying the location of

the original scene suggesting that a possible identification might be Room S of the

North-West Palace entrance b excavated in Layard’s first season at Nimrud

(Layard 1849, i: 389). Layard did not use Malan’s drawing possibly because he

had already published the results of his first season.

Publication: Gadd 1938: 120-1, no.135: Pl. XVI.


pencil ‘June 13th

’ [1850].


Discussion: Gadd (1938: 119) identifies the slabs as from the South West palace,

wall r excavated in Layard’s first season at Nimrud (Layard 1849, i: 380: Plan;

1849,ii: 34-5). Layard did not use Malan’s drawing, possibly because he had

already published the results of his first season. The slabs are now in the British

Museum - ANE 124961, ANE 118933.

Publication: Gadd 1938: 119, Pl. XII.

10. Designation: ‘Packages, Nimrood’; Malan no. 120, page 36; annotated bottom left

in pencil ‘Nimrood 13th

‘[June 1850].

Dimensions: 13 x 22 cm (centre sheet of a drawing book with nos. 121-3 on the

same sheet).

Discussion: Layard used the drawing to illustrate his description of moving the

slabs packed in nearly 100 wooden crates to the river and then downstream to

Basrah and then on to London (Layard 1853: 463). The published version, which

Layard entitled ‘Cases containing sculptures ready for embarkation’, is faithful to

Malan’s original.


11. Designation: ‘Mr Layard’s hut’; Malan no. 121, page 36; annotated bottom left in

pencil ‘Nimrood 13th

’ [June 1850].

Dimensions: 13 x 7 cm.

Discussion: Layard used the drawing (1853: 218) but did not acknowledge Malan

as the artist. Layard identified it as ‘The author’s house at Nimroud’ (ibid). The

published image amalgamates two further separate drawings by Malan – No.s 17

and 18 below. For a similar image see Mallowan’s photograph of his dig house at

Nimrud (1966, i: 53, Fig. 18).


12. Designation: ‘Nimrood’; Malan no. 122, page 36; annotated bottom left in pencil

‘Nimrood 13th

’ [June 1850].


[11]

Description: The mounds at Nimrud looking west-east with the ziggurat to the left

and the mound running away to the right. Pencil with brown wash.

Discussion: Mallowan (1966, i: 34-5, fig.3) published a photograph of the same

scene.


Figure 6. The mounds at Nimrud (Malan no.122, p.36; Appendix A: no.12).

13. Designation: ‘Nimrood’; Malan no. 123, page 36; annotated bottom left in pencil

‘Nimrood 13th

’ [June 1850].


Description: A close view of the ziggurat and neighbouring mounds seen from the

west bank of the river.

Discussion: See the discussion for No. 12 above.


Figure 7. The ziggurat at Nimrud (Malan n.123, p.36; Appendix A, no.13)

14. Designation: ‘Winged lions Nimroud’; Malan no. 129, page 37; annotated bottom

left in pencil ‘Nimrood 13th

’ [June 1850].


Description: A second view of the two massive winged lions with clawed feet

depicted in No. 5 above drawn the previous day. No inscriptions indicated. To the

left a small section of brick work abuts to the right two panels one above the

other. The upper a winged and bearded god with a bucket in one hand and right

arm raised. The two lions are propped apart by a pole between the two. A man in

Arab dress before the right hand lion. Pencil sketch in pencil and brown wash.

[12]

Discussion: The figures stood at the entrance b to Room G of the North West

Palace. The area was excavated by Layard’s workmen while he was away from

the site (Layard 1853: 348 and facing page; Meuszyński 1981: 43).


Figure 8. Winged bulls at Entrance b to room G of the NW Palace, Nimrud (Malan no.

129, p.37; Appendix A, no.14).

15. Designation: ‘Foundation of the Pyramid. Nimroud’; Malan no. 132, page 40;

annotated at the bottom left in pencil ‘Nimroud 13th

’ [June 1850].


Discussion: Gadd (1938: 120) identifies the scene as a view ‘taken from the

south-west corner of the building’ supporting the base of the ziggurat the

excavation of which is described by Layard (1853: 123-5, Plan facing page 123;

124, illustrations by F.C. Cooper). Excavations in the 1970s revealed further

sections of the wall (see Oates and Oates 2001: 106, fig.64 for a photograph of the

north side of the ziggurat).

Publication: Gadd 1938: 120, no. 132: Pl. XIV.


pencil ‘Nimroud 13th

’ [June 1850].


Discussion: Gadd (1938: 120) identifies the view as that of the north entrance to

the Temple of Ninurta the excavation of which is described by Layard (1853: 348

and 350). A colour print of this drawing exists, but the location of the original is

unknown.

(http://www.odysseyadventures.ca/articlces/layard_assyria/article_layard)

Publication: Gadd 1938: 120, no. 134: Pl. XV.

17. Designation: ‘Water carrier, Nimrood’; Malan no. 127 rev, page 36; undated.


Discussion: This drawing was amalgamated with No.11 above (Malan No. 121)

and No. 18 below by Layard (1853: 218) without Malan being acknowledged as

the artist. The figure is reversed in the published drawing and the small pot has

been moved behind the man.


[13]

18. Designation: ‘Women, Nimrood’; Malan no. 128, page 36; undated.


Discussion: This drawing was amalgamated (along with No.s 11 and 17 above) by

Layard into his published illustration of his dig house at Nimrud (1853: 218)

without acknowledging Malan as the artist.


Section two: Nineveh

19. Designation: ‘Fish-god Kooyoonjik’; Malan no. 114, page 31 upper; dated at the

lower left corner ‘Kouyounjik June 10th

[1850]’.


Discussion: Bleibtreu (1998: 106-7, no. 447c) identifies the slab as that at

entrance i into room XXXIX (Y) at Sennacherib’s palace.

Publication: Bleibtreu 1998: 106-7, no. 447c; Pl. 361, no. 447c.

20. Designation: ‘Fish-god Kooyoonjik’; Malan no. 114(a), page 31 lower; dated at

the lower left corner ‘Kouyounjik June 10th

’ [1850].


Publication: Bleibtreu 1998: 106-7, no. 447c; Pl. 361, no.447c.

21. Designation: ‘At Kouyounjik’; Malan no. 166, page 49; dated at the lower left

edge ‘Kouyounjik June 10th

’ [1850].


Discussion: Bleibtreu (1998: 82, no. 283c) identifies the image as being from slab

11 of the decoration to Court XIX (U) of Sennacherib’s in which Ashurbanipal’s

campaigns in Babylonia are depicted.

Publication: Bleibtreu 1998: 82, no. 283c; Pl. 203, no. 283c.

22. Designation: ‘At Kouyunjik’; Malan no. 183, page 54, left; dated at the lower left

in pencil ‘Kouyunjik June 10th

’ [1850].

Dimensions: 10 x 12.8 cm.

Description: A pencil drawing with black wash of a scene inside an excavation

tunnel with no details or human figures.

Discussion: This would appear to be a working drawing of the excavations in

Gallery XLIX (O) more fully depicted in Malan 107 (No. 28 below). The

identification is made more probable by the appearance of Malan no.184 (No. 23

below), also from Gallery XLIX (O), on the same sheet of drawings.


[14]

Figure 9. An interior of the excavation tunnel at Gallery

XLIX (O), Nineveh (Malan no. 183, p.54; Appendix A: no.22).

23. Designation: ‘At Kouyunjik’; Malan no. 184, page 54; dated at the lower left in

pencil ‘Kouyunjik June 10th

’ [1850].


Description: A pencil sketch of a slab depicting a lion demon facing right. The

left hand is broken away and the whole slab broken at the knee. No inscription is

indicated.

Discussion: The slab is depicted in Malan 107(No. 28 below) where it is shown in

a jumble of slabs in a tunnel. Bleibtreu (1998: 119) identifies the scene as Gallery

XLIX (O). The slab is now in the British Museum, ANE 124826.

Publication. The slab is discussed by Green (1986a: 198, no.82, Tafel 19), but this

drawing is hitherto unpublished9. Figure 10.

Figure 10. A lion demon from Gallery XLIX (o) at Nineveh

(Malan no. 184, p.54; Appendix A: no.23).

24. Designation: ‘Excavations at Kooyoonjik, Nineveh’; Malan no. 108, page 25;

dated on the lower left in pencil ‘June 15th

’ [1850].


9 Dr Tony Green, who died in 2012 (Curtis 2012), had among his many interests Nimrud and

Mesopotamian religious iconography (Green 1983a, 1983b, 1985a, 1985b, 1986a, 1986b, 1988 and Curtis

et al 1993). I saw both demonstrated when he and I visited Nimrud in December 1986. I would like to think

that Tony would have enjoyed this paper, especially as it provides a small addition to his 1986a paper on

the lion demon.

[15]

Discussion: Gadd (1938: 121) and Bleibtreu (1998: 82, no. 279b) Entrance h into

room XXIX (Z) of Sennacherib’s palace. The slab depicting the horses and the

river is now in the British Museum, ANE 124825.

Publication: Gadd 1938: 121: Pl. XVII; Bleibtreu 1998: 82, no. 279b; Pl. 201, no.

279b.

25. Designation: ‘At Kooyoonjik, Nineveh’; Malan no. 111, page 28; dated bottom

left in pencil, ‘Kouyounjik June 15th

’ [1850].


Discussion: Gadd (1938: 121) and Bleibtreu (1998: 48, no.8) identify the scene as

the winged bull from the ‘façade figures on the right of Layard’s Grand Entrance

a’ (ibid). The figure decorated an entrance from forecourt H10

to the throne room.

An inaccurate version of the drawing was used by Layard (1853: 134). In his

description of the area, Layard (ibid, 135-6) suggests that the excavation took

place in December 1850, whereas Malan’s drawing strongly suggests a date five

months earlier.

Publication: Layard 1853: 135; Gadd 1938: 121: Pl. XVIII; Bleibtreu 1998: 48,

no.8: Pl. 25. 8b.

26. ‘’Fish-God Kooyoonjik’; Malan no. 113, page 30; dated ‘June 15th

1850’’


Discussion: Bleibtreu (1998: 106-7, no. 447b) identifies the scene as the slab at

entrance i into room XXXIX (Y) at Sennacherib’s palace.

In his publication of Malan’s drawing Layard (1853: facing page 343) the image

has been altered. Workmen are shown guiding a basket down on the rope through

the circular hole; the workman walking away down the corridor has been omitted;

as have the sparse details of the slabs on the left. In his discussion of the

excavation Layard (1853: 343) states – ‘On the north side of the chamber were

two doorways leading into separate apartments. Each entrance was formed by two

colossal bas-reliefs of Dagon, or the fish-god. Unfortunately the upper part of all

these figures had been destroyed, but as the lower half remained from above the

waist we can have no difficulty in restoring the whole ..’

Publication: Layard 1853: facing page 343; Malan 1897: facing page 160; Russell

1991: 37, fig. 22; Bleibtreu 1998: 106-7, no. 447b; Pl. 361, no. 447b.

27. Designation: ‘The archive chamber, Kooyoonjik’; Malan no. 112, page 28; dated

bottom left in pencil ‘Kouyounjik June 17th

’ [1850].


Discussion: Bleibtreu (1998: 109, no. 463a) identifies the scene as either room

XL or XLI of Sennacherib’s palace in which part of the library of Ashurbanipal

was found. No other description of the room survives.

A version of the drawing, acknowledged to Malan, was used by Layard (1853:

facing page 345) and identified as the ‘archive chamber’ (ibid). Crucially Layard

had the drawing Malan had done of him sketching (Malan no.186; No. 33 below)

10

See Russell (1991: 45-50) for a discussion of Court H.

[16]

inserted into the ‘archive chamber’ picture. The central area of the published

picture has been tidied up and some of the details on the slabs are lost.

Layard stated (ibid, 344-6) that the room was a depository for tablets which were

found up to a foot or more deep on the floor.

Pedersén (1998: 161) summarises the archaeology of the ‘library’.

Publication: Layard 1853: facing page 345; Bleibtreu 1998: 109, no. 463a; Pl.

368, no. 463a.

28. Designation: ‘Excavations at Kooyoonjik. Nineveh’; Malan no. 107, page 24;

dated lower left in pencil ‘June 17th

’ [1850].


Discussion: Bleibtreu (1998: 119) identifies the scene as Gallery XLIX (O) which

was long and probably open to the sky. The drawing depicts three slabs from the

gallery – a line of courtiers (ibid, 120, no. 533; Pl. 415, no. 531b); a lion demon in

striking pose (ibid, 120, no. 531b; Pl. 415, no. 531b) and a third slab whose

decoration cannot be determined (ibid, 120, no. 534; Pl. 415, no. 531b).

Publication: Layard 1853: facing page 104; Malan 1897: facing page 116 and

16011

; Green 1986a: 198, pl. 19, no.82; Bleibtreu 1998: 120, no. 531b; Pl. 415,

no. 531b.

29. Designation: ‘View of the walls of Nineveh’; Malan no. 171, page 51; dated at the

bottom left in pencil ‘June 19th

’ [1850].


Discussion: Campbell Thompson (1938: 122) notes that the view is from near the

south end of the city wall, with the Gate of Shamash to the left of centre and

Mosul just visible over the ruins of the wall.

Publication: Gadd 1938: 122, Pl. XX, lower.

30. Designation: ‘Mr Layard at Kooyoonjik’; Malan no. 186, page 54, right; dated

lower left ‘June 19th

’.

Dimensions:18.4 x 12.9 cm.

Discussion: Gadd (1938: 122) and Bleibtreu (1998: 82, no. 278b) identify the spot

at which Layard is depicted as before slabs 15 and 16 of Court XIX (U) in

Sennacherib’s palace. The image was reversed and used in the publication of

Malan No. 112 (No. 29) above (Layard 1853: facing page 345).

Publication: Layard 1853: facing page 345; Gadd 1938: 122, no. 184: Pl. XIX;

Barnett 1976: Pl. 2; Reade 1983: 9, fig.4; Bleibtreu 1998: 82, no. 278b: Pl. 200,

no. 278b.

31. Designation: ‘Workmen – Kooyoonjik’: Malan no. 156, page 46: dated bottom

center ‘Kouyounjik June 20th

’ [1850].


Discussion: A section of this sketch (2 men and the woman with baby) were used

by Layard (1853: 411) and acknowledged as the work of Malan. Layard’s caption

(ibid) is ‘A Nestorian family employed in the excavations at Kouyunjik’. The rest

11

Malan incorrectly identifies the scene as one of the excavation tunnels at Nimrud.

[17]

of the drawing consists of sketches of a donkey (?), heads and torsos of three men

and a standing man.


32. Designation: untitled; Malan no. 157, page 46; dated middle right ‘Kouyunjik

June 20th

’ [1850].


Description: Pencil sketch with some colour of three men in purple pantaloons

and blue/ black tops bending over as if working.


Figure 11. Workmen at Nineveh (Malan no.

157, p.19; Appendix A: no.32).

33. Designation: ‘At Kooyoonjik, Nineveh’; Malan no. 109, page 26; dated lower

right ‘June 20th

’ [1850].


Discussion: The sketch was not used by Layard. Bleibtreu (1998: 82, no. 281a)

identifies the scene as the entrance h into Court XIX (U) of Sennacherib’s palace.

Publication: Bleibtreu 1998: 82, no. 281a; Pl. 202, no. 281a.

34. Designation: ‘Removing a slab – Kooyoonjik’; Malan no. 158, page 46; dated

middle right ‘Kouyounjik June 20th

’ [1850].


Discussion: Layard (1853: 437) published a version of the sketch and

acknowledged Malan as the artist. The caption to the published picture is ‘Arabs

and Nestorians moving a slab at Kouyunjik’ (ibid). Layard described the removal

of the slabs from Kouyunjik as ‘a task of considerable trouble, and demanding

much time and labor’ (ibid, 463).


35. Designation: ‘Kouyunjik’; Malan no. 159 (left); dated lower left ‘June 20th

’

[1850].


Discussion: Bleibtreu (1998: 82, no. 282c) identifies the scene as a detail from the

upper register of slab 12 in Court XIX (U).

Publication: Bleibtreu 1998: 82, no. 282c: Pl. 203, 282c left.

36. Designation: ‘Kouyunjik’: Malan no. 159 (right): dated lower left ‘June 20th

’

[18]

[1850].


Discussion: Bleibtreu (1998: 82 and 83, no. 282c) identifies the scene as a detail

from slab 10 in Court XIX (U) of Sennacherib’s palace.

Publication: Bleibtreu 1998: 82 and 83, no. 282c: Pl. 203.

37. Designation: ‘At Koyounjik’; Malan no. 110, page 27; date lost.


Discussion: Layard (1853: facing page 340) published an accurate copy of the

sketch and acknowledged Malan as the artist. Bleibtreu (1998: 125, no. 576b)

identifies the scene as part of the sloping passage LI (T) of Sennacherib’s palace

with part of slab 29 and probably slabs 31-2 with a poor rendering of slab 13.

Publication: Layard 1853: facing page 340; Bleibtreu 1998: 125, no. 576b; Pl.

449, no. 576b.

38. Designation: ‘At Kooyoonjik’; Malan no. 145: undated.


Discussion: Bleibtreu (1988: 124, no. 566c) identifies the scene as a detail from

slab 11 from the sloping passage LI (T) of Sennacherib’s palace. The slab is now

in the British Museum, WA 124799a.

Publication: Bleibtreu 1998: 124, no. 566c; Pl. 436, no. 566c.

39. Designation: ‘Excavations at Nineveh’: unsigned and undated.


Discussion: Though unsigned and undated Bleibtreu (1998: 143, no. 781)

attributes the drawing to Malan. The drawing is held in the British Museum Or.

Dr. IV, VII Miscellaneous.

Publication: Bleibtreu 1998: 143, no. 781; Pl. 518, no. 781.

40. Designation: ‘Excavations at Nineveh’: unsigned and undated.

Discussion: Bleibtreu 1998: (143, no. 782) suggests that the location of this scene

is the same as No 39. The drawing is held in the British Museum Or. Dr. IV, VII

Miscellaneous.

Publication: Bleibtreu 1998: 143, no. 782; Pl. 519.

Appendix B: objects given to the British Museum by the Reverend S.C. Malan12

The British Museum ANE holds two fragments of Assyrian reliefs given to the Museum

by one of Malan’s descendents, Dr. E.M. Malan, in 1975. One fragment is from Nineveh

and the other from Nimrud. Both bear labels stating that they were acquired by S.C13

.

Malan and would appear to be souvenirs of his visits to Nineveh and Nimrud.

B.1 BM ANE 136714/ 1975, 1207.1

12

Malan also donated his collection of 1117 birds eggs to the Royal Albert Memorial Museum

(http://www.rammuseum.org.uk/collections/collectors/solomon-caesar-malan-18121894). 13

I am grateful to Dr St John Simpson for this information.

[19]

A section (16,6 x 14.7 x 2.7 cm) of the right hand edge of a slab featuring a

horse’s head in an harness. The fragment is slightly burned and bears the marks of

modern sawing to trim it. The objects bears a small label on the reverse stating

that it was brought from Nineveh by S.C. Malan.

B.2 BM ANE 136715/ 1975, 1207.2

A section (14 x 13.5 x 2.3 cm) of a slab featuring parts of the first three lines of a

standard inscription of Ašurbanipal II. On the reverse is a small label stating that

it was brought from Nimrud by S.C. Malan.

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Two new prints of Layards excavations at Nimrud.

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Transcript of Two new prints of Layards excavations at Nimrud.