Bell inscribed with the Urartian royal name Argishti

Bell inscribed with the Urartian royal name Argishti

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This classical Urartian bell has a domed top, an octagonal and perforated body with a central raised ridge, and a loop for suspension. The Urartian cuneiform inscription reads: "From the arsenal of [King] Argishti."

Ancient Near Eastern Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Bell inscribed with the Urartian royal name ArgishtiBell inscribed with the Urartian royal name ArgishtiBell inscribed with the Urartian royal name ArgishtiBell inscribed with the Urartian royal name ArgishtiBell inscribed with the Urartian royal name Argishti

The Met's Department of Ancient Near Eastern Art cares for approximately 7,000 works ranging in date from the eighth millennium B.C. through the centuries just beyond the emergence of Islam in the seventh century A.D. Objects in the collection were created by people in the area that today comprises Iraq, Iran, Turkey, Syria, the Eastern Mediterranean coast, Yemen, and Central Asia. From the art of some of the world's first cities to that of great empires, the department's holdings illustrate the beauty and craftsmanship as well as the profound interconnections, cultural and religious diversity, and lasting legacies that characterize the ancient art of this vast region.