A terracotta object in the shape of a large, thick spike. The top edge is flat and flares outward. There is another flared edge just below that. It is light green and brown in color.
Photo © President and Fellows of Harvard College
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Photo © President and Fellows of Harvard College

A terracotta object in the shape of a large, thick spike. The top edge is flat and flares outward. There is another flared edge just below that. It is light green on the top and brown on the bottom point. It lays on its side and the top edge is lifted up from the flared edges. It is shown on a white background.

Identification and Creation

Object Number
1931.155.B
Title
Nails for the Decoration of Walls
Other Titles
Alternate Title: Wall-nail from Nuzi, Stratum II
Classification
Architectural Elements
Work Type
architectural element
Date
1500-1350 BCE
Places
Creation Place: Ancient & Byzantine World, Asia, Nuzi (Mesopotamia)
Period
Mitannian period
Culture
Hurrian
Persistent Link
https://hvrd.art/o/12416

Physical Descriptions

Medium
Glazed terracotta
Technique
Wheel-made
Dimensions
16.5 x 8.5 cm (6 1/2 x 3 3/8 in.)

Provenance

Recorded Ownership History
Excavated from Yorghan Tepe, Iraq, (1930).

Acquisition and Rights

Credit Line
Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Harvard-Baghdad School Expedition (1929-1930)
Accession Year
1931
Object Number
1931.155.B
Division
Asian and Mediterranean Art
Contact
am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu
Permissions

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Descriptions

Description
This wall nail of buff terracotta consists of a square, tapered shaft and a wheel-made and glazed double-headed knob. The unglazed shaft would have been driven into a mudbrick wall, leaving the elaborate glazed knob exposed. The glaze has faded to a light greenish yellowish color. A section has broken off the upper part of the head, and the lower part is chipped, revealing that the clay used for the nail was coarsely tempered.

Exhibition History

  • 32Q: 3440 Middle East, Harvard Art Museums, Cambridge, 11/16/2014 - 12/14/2022

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Verification Level

This record has been reviewed by the curatorial staff but may be incomplete. Our records are frequently revised and enhanced. For more information please contact the Division of Asian and Mediterranean Art at am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu