Relief Fragment from Persepolis

About the Art

The city of Persepolis was designed to show the glory of the Achaemenid Persian Empire (about 550–330 BCE). Built during the reigns of the kings Darius the Great (521–485 BCE) and his son Xerxes I (485–465 BCE), it was used as a ceremonial center where representatives of the Empire’s states would bring tribute to the king once a year on Nowruz, what is today known as Iranian New Year. Nowruz is celebrated on the first day of spring, around March 20.

Sculptural friezes decorated many of the walls of Persepolis and mirrored the various activities within, such as this servant carrying a cup to the banquet area. Recent research indicates the fragment most likely came from the west stairs of the Palace of Xerxes.

Centered in modern-day Iran, at its peak the Achaemenid Persian Empire stretched from Eastern Europe to Afghanistan and south into Egypt. The Empire employed a well-organized bureaucratic structure that gave a certain amount of autonomy to the regions under its control.

FEATURED IMAGE
Artist(s) unknown (Iran, Achaemenid Persian Empire, 550–330 BCE), Relief Fragment from Persepolis, 486–465 BCE, gray limestone, 21 1/2 x 11 1/4 x 3 inches (54.6 x 28.6 x 7.6 cm), 58 pounds. Museum purchase with funds provided by the Hipple Foundation, 1967.60