'Merciful' messages in the reliefs of Ashurnasirpal II: the land of Suhu

This contribution analyses the group of bas-reliefs B-17/20 decorating the east side of the Throne Room of the Northwest palace of Ashurnasirpal II at Kalḫu. The non-bellicose aspects of one of the motifs depicted, the royal hunt, together with the extreme calm and simplicity featuring the narrative composition of the battle and tribute scenes, make this group an evident exception within the decoration of the Throne Room, whose west side is in contrast mainly characterized by bloody and complex images of war. Although some scholars have touched on this issue, no one has carried out a thorough analysis or provided a convincing and reasonable explanation. Therefore, this paper aims to ill this gap by scrutinizing the slabs B-17/20 in the light of 1) their spatial context and their meanings, 2) the identity of the igures portrayed and 3) the visual consumption by an audience. In particular, from a close examination of the battle and tribute scenes, it is concluded that these represent the middle Euphrates kingdom of Suḫu, and carry a message speciically intended for visitors from this kingdom.