Update: Please click through and read the comments. There's a reason this artifact looks so realistic- it's a picture of the real thing from the British Museum. Heh.
For comparison, here's the picture posted at the Museum's page on the artifact.
It appears Ruby simply reposted the picture because she's a fan of the "Supernatural" television show and Pazuzu was mentioned in passing during an episode. Because it was posted in the Sculpture category on DeviantArt I assumed she'd, well, sculpted it. That's obviously not the case and the misunderstanding is all mine.
8 comments:
I think this is an _actual_ artifact, and the accession number is that of the British Museum. Don't know why the picture turned up on DeviantArt. See: http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/highlights/highlight_objects/me/b/bronze_head_of_pazuzu.aspx for details...
It looks good, because it is good. That particular piece is in the British Museum and the number on the bottom is the catalog number ANE 93089. The figure is pretty late, actually being neoAssyrian and dating 800 to 550 B.C.E.
http://www.archaeowiki.org/Pazuzu
If I recall correctly that god/demon (depends on your cosmology) Pazuzu appears in the movie The Exorcist and sequels. If you check around there are some better aspects and depictions that would look good in a CoC campaign.
Uhmm..
It looks real because it actually
is an ancient artifact!
It's from the British Museum..
Just thought you should know, this is an actual archaeological piece. It resides in the British Museum.
The "artist" on deviantart simply posted it in their gallery.
Sorry, but FallenAngelRuby did not create that prop, or if she did, it was so accurately made that the photo of it even reflects the light the same as this artifact pictured on ArchaeoWiki:
http://www.archaeowiki.org/Image:Pazuzu_head_amulet.jpg
Bronze amulet head of Pazuzu
Neo-Assyrian period, circa 800-550 BCE Probably from Nimrud (ancient Kalhu), northern Iraq
British Museum ANE 93089
Room 55, Later Mesopotamia, case 15.
Looks like the archive picture was just re-uploaded.
Still a nice reference piece. It does help to look at the real thing once in awhile.
I’m sure that no harm is done and to the good, it has made people scramble to look up Pazuzu. Getting your cage rattled is all part of the fun. I am glad that an original piece has been posted to remind people about the look and feel of 2,500 year old bronze objects. Had it been a less famous piece, I might have been complimenting the fine patination.
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