How does the Stele of Naram-Sin communicate the power of the Akkadian ruler through its iconography?
What will be an ideal response?
The ideal answer should include:
1. The artist used hierarchic scale to depict Naram-Sin as the largest figure in the composition, which indicates that he is the most important subject of the stele.
2. Naram-Sin holds a spear, battleaxe, and bow and arrow, and wears the horned helmet-crown, an attribute usually restricted to representations of gods.
3. Naram-Sin's pose reflects the profile of the stele and the carved mountain depicted within it, and he stands at the top of the mountain, above his soldiers and fallen enemies.
4. Naram-Sin's power and divine right to rule is further expressed by his well-formed male body and a cluster of solar deities at the top of the composition that watch over the king.
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