An Exhibition of Ancient Mesopotamian Art

A tan terracotta relief plaque shows a dog with open mouth, large jowls and a raised tail. Related to the modern breed of mastiffs, the dog wears a collar and walks to the right. This is the sacred animal of Gula, goddess of healing. The small votive plaque could have been presented to the goddess at one of her temples, or, perhaps, used in a house shrine. A larger, three-dimensional sculpture of the same breed of dog can be seen in this exhibit.