Statue with "Gushing Vase" (Statue N) AO 22126 Second dynasty of Lagash Telloh, Ancient Girsu, Iraq Calcite Richelieu room 2 This statue represents Gudea, who reigned over southern Mesopotamia around 2120 BC. He is wearing long linen, fringed clothing and a hat with a wide brim which, like crowns in our civilisation, represents royal power.

Statue of Gudea with "Gushing Vase"

The sovereign is standing upright and carrying a vase in his hands from which streams of fish are gushing. The symbol of fresh water fertility, it is the traditional privilege of the god Enki. This theme of the vase from which the water of life flows is often found in Mesopotamian mythology, perhaps reflecting the story of Genesis 2:10.

Stag and Doe Drinking from the Four Rivers of Paradise MND 401 Denon Ground floor room 28

This mosaic formed part of a church decoration in Tunisia. Like the Sumerians two thousand years previously, the artist has illustrated the life-giving qualities of water by filling the streams with a multitude of fish