Italy has bestowed Iraq with the replica of the famed Assyrian "Bull of Nimrud" statue previously displayed at the Roman Colosseum and UNESCO Paris headquarters, the Art Newspaper reports.
The replica was based on a 9th-century BC and 16-foot-tall monument destroyed by ISIS fighters back in 2015, consequently prompting Italian artists to replicate it using 3D-printing technology.
Now, the duplicate is heading to the Basrah Museum in Iraq, where it will be put on show permanently.
A 'lamassu' monument currently held by The Met.
Italy's Initiative to Improve 'International Collaboration'
During the inauguration ceremony held at the museum located in the Iraqi city of Basra last Feb. 6, Italy's culture minister Gennaro Sangiuliano read out a statement that said: "Italy is at the forefront of safeguarding cultural heritage because it is the soul of a nation and embodies its history."
"It will therefore continue to make every effort to advance international collaboration in the field of cultural heritage protection and to work for the enhancement of the heritage of humanity," he continued.
Francesco Rutelli, Sangiuliano's predecessor as a culture minister, wrote on Facebook of the recent donation, saying, "Italy is fighting to protect the Cultural Heritage, against its destruction, to regain value and respect for History, for the pluralism of ideas."
Rutelli added by saying that this act of a "symbolic partnership" was only possible through "a constant act of volunteerism" and that he hopes this "little light" gives out the much-needed "hope" amid the tumultuous time we currently live in.
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Behind the Replication of the Famed 'Lamassu' Monument
The original statue formerly stood in the historical city of Nimrud, which is found today in the Iraqi city called Mosul. This place of establishment was chosen by the Assyrian king of the time, Ashurnasirpal II, who reigned between 883 to 859 BC.
Ashurnasirpal II was believed to have constructed a grand palace adorned with a handful of these 'lamassu' statues, depicting a hybrid between lions, bulls, birds, and men.
However, this "Bull of Nimrud" monument was among the cultural artifacts that suffered devastation at the hands of ISIS, following their siege at the archeological site back in 2015.
In terms of the replication, it was restoration specialist Nicola Salvioli who led a team of Italian experts to craft a highly accurate duplicate of the statue by first making a polystyrene model using videos and images of the original as reference.
The model was then mainly used to inform the design of a larger fiberglass version which was manufactured using an industrial-grade 3D printer. It was then covered with a plastic and stone dust mixture to simulate the original's "historical" appearance.
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