| Genius 
                or Apkarlu Behind Ashurnasirpal Nineveh - Iraq
 Ritual 
                  scene from the walls of the north-west palace at Nimrud. Holding 
                  the emblematic bow and a sheaf of arrows, Ashurnasirpal is shown 
                  followed by a winged figure or genius making offerings to a 
                  god. The objects in the hands of his attendant are a fir-cone 
                  and a bucket to contain oil or honey. The figures are highly 
                  formalised, but instinct with a certain dignity, and make their 
                  ceremonial gestures with spaciousness and freedom.
 From 
                  Wonders of the Past |