Founding Figures: Copper Sculpture from Ancient Mesopotamia, ca. 3300–2000 B.C.

May 13 - August 21, 2016 - The exhibition demonstrates how the medium of copper allowed sculptors to explore a variety of forms with a fluidity not available in traditional stone, resulting in figures of exceptional grace and delicacy. Enlarged impressions of scenes engraved on cylinder seals, maps, and other visual tools are also displayed to provide historical and cultural context.​ Surviving examples are exceedingly rare and Founding Figures brings together ten outstanding works, including ancient cylinder seals, from several public and private collections such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Babylonian Collection of Yale University.