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Warka Mask

The Warka Mask, also known as the Lady of Warka or Lady of Uruk, is a sculpture dated to around 3300 BC from the Uruk period in Mesopotamia. Created in the time of Sumerian civilization in southern Mesopotamia, it is carved from sandstone and shows a rough, experimental workmanship. It was originally painted in different colors, including white for the skin and other tones for the ornaments, hair, and details. The face is highly stylized, with almond-shaped eyes, a continuous brow line, and a strong geometric sense centered on the nose. It is considered one of the earliest works to depict a female face.

The Warka Mask, a light-toned ancient stone head with stylized facial features and hollow eye sockets on a dark pedestal.
The Warka Mask, an ancient stone sculpture with stylized facial features, displayed on a pedestal.
May 2019 © · CC BY-SA 4.0
Warka Mask shown in profile on a dark stand, with hollowed eyes and an incomplete top and back.
The Warka Mask in profile, mounted on a dark stand in the Iraq Museum in Baghdad.
March 2019 © · CC BY-SA 4.0
Side profile of the Warka Mask on a dark display stand.
The Warka Mask shown in profile on display at the Iraq Museum in Baghdad.
March 2019 © · CC BY-SA 4.0
The Warka Mask displayed in a glass case on a dark pedestal in a museum hall.
The Warka Mask on display in a museum gallery, protected inside a glass case.
December 2016 © · CC BY-SA 4.0
Back view of the Warka Mask on a display stand with acrylic supports and visible repairs.
Back view of the Warka Mask at the Iraq Museum in Baghdad, showing its mounting supports and surface damage.
March 2019 © · CC BY-SA 4.0

Identification

TitleMask of Warka
Alternative namesLady of Warka; Lady of Uruk; Warka Mask; Woman's mask of Uruk; Dama di Warka; Dama de Uruk; colloquially called the Sumerian Mona Lisa or the Mona Lisa of Uruk
TypeFemale head mask

Historical context

DateLate 4th millennium BC, c. 3300–3100 BC
Cultural periodUruk period
CivilizationSumerian civilization
Historical contextPart of the last millennium of the Chalcolithic in Mesopotamia
Geographic contextSouthern Mesopotamia, in the area of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers (present-day Iraq)

Creator

Discovered byGerman Archaeological Institute expedition led by Dr. Arnold Nöldeke (also given as Dr. A. Nöldeke)

Discovery and provenance

Original functionProbably part of a larger wooden cult image or idol
Associated deityInanna
Named afterThe modern village of Warka, near ancient Uruk
Nearby placeAbout 280 km south-southeast of Baghdad, near Samawa
Discovery regionAl-Muthanna Province, Iraq
Discovery siteUruk, in the Eanna (Ianna) district
Discovery date22 February 1939

Physical characteristics

Height20.1 cm
Original formProbably part of a life-size statue
DescriptionCarved female head or mask
BackSmoothed on the back and flat at the back of the head, possibly for wall attachment
Crown featureA groove at the crown held the figure's hair
Attachment featuresHoles for fastening a wig with metal studs, possibly engraved
EarsEar holes indicate the head once wore jewelry

Materials

Back of head coveringPossibly bitumen beneath a layer of colored metal, perhaps gold foil or copper foil
Eye inlayShell and lapis lazuli may have been used for the eyes
Hair materialProbably gold sheet
Body materialMarble, probably white marble

Appearance

Original appearanceOriginally polychromed
Original colorsWhite for the skin, with other colors for ornaments, hair, and details
Stylistic featuresRoughly worked, experimental, with a lack of stylization and a geometric tendency
EyesLarge almond-shaped eyes with very dilated pupils and no eyelids
EyebrowsContinuous eyebrows forming a unibrow
Symmetry axisThe nose serves as the axis of symmetry
Preservation stateThe eyes and eyebrows are not preserved; traces of ancient inlay remain

Iconography and meaning

Artistic influenceIts intense gaze was later inherited in Assyrian and Babylonian guardian sculpture
Possible significanceThe decorations suggest it may have been a highly valuable divine representation
UniquenessUnique for its period, with no known parallels
InterpretationOne of the earliest known representations of the human face and one of the first depictions of a female face
Depicted figureA female face, probably the goddess Inanna; this identification is only a presumption

Location and ownership

Current locationNational Museum of Iraq, Baghdad

History and restoration

Looting date9–12 April 2003
Looting eventLooted from the National Museum of Iraq during the United States invasion of Iraq
Number of stolen objectsForty-one pieces in total, including the sculpture
Other stolen objects mentionedWarka Vase; Bassetki Statue
Recovery dateSeptember 2003
Recovery circumstancesRecovered intact after being buried, hidden by an Iraqi man/farmer, and found through an informant tip, investigation, and raid
Recovery locationA farm in northern Baghdad
Condition when recoveredIntact and undamaged

Significance

Historical significanceOne of the oldest works in the world depicting a female face