TY - BOOK ID - 144312899 TI - Picturing Royal Charisma: Kings and Rulers in the Near East from 3000 BCE to 1700 CE AU - David, Arlette AU - Milstein, Rachel PY - 2023 SN - 1803271612 9781803271613 PB - [s.l.] : Archaeopress Publishing Ltd, DB - UniCat KW - Social sciences KW - Islamic Thrones KW - Titus Arch KW - Turris David KW - Mesopotamian Kings KW - Lions KW - Palmira KW - Royal imagery KW - Frankish Jerusalem KW - Royal Art KW - Kings KW - Amarna Art KW - Kingship KW - Social Science / Archaeology UR - https://www.unicat.be/uniCat?func=search&query=sysid:144312899 AB - <i>Picturing Royal Charisma</i> assesses how Middle Eastern leaders manipulated visuals to advance their rule from around 4500 BC to the 19th century AD. In nine fascinating narratives, it showcases the dynamics of long-lasting Middle Eastern traditions, dealing with the visualization of those who stood at the head of the social order. The contributions discuss: Mesopotamian kings who cast themselves as divine representatives in art; the relationships between the 'king of men' and 'king of beasts' - the lion; Akhenaten's visual conception of a divine king without hybrid attributes; the royal image as guiding movements of visitors in the palace of Nimrud; continuities in the functions and representation of Neo-Assyrian eunuchs that survived in the Achaemenid, Sasanian, Byzantine and Islamic courts; the triumphal arch of the emperor Titus and its reflections in Christian Constantinople; patterns of authority and royal legitimacy in 3rd century AD Palmyra and Rome; the use of the Biblical past in the construction of kingship in 12th century Crusader Jerusalem; and the use of 'the power of images' by Islamic rulers, adopting visuals of thrones and throne-rooms despite Islamic opposition to the figurative portrayal of kings. ER -