 A TRIBUTE TO ERNST EMIL HERZFELD

Ernst Emil Herzfeld, born in Celle, province of Hanover. From 1923 to 1925 he started explorations in Persia and described many of the countries' most important ruins for the first time. In 1925 he moved to Tehran and stayed there most of the time until 1934. He was instrumental in creating a Persian law of antiquities and excavated in the Achaemenid capitals Pasargadae and Persepolis.His international reputation was mainly due to his extensive language skills and his exploration of numerous ruins and his excavations, about 1911-1913 in Samarra and from 1931 to 1934 the residence Persepolis. His main areas of research included Orientalist-philological, historical, archaeological and architectural studies, especially on the Stone, Copper and Bronze Ages in Persia, the cultures of the Hittites, Babylonians, Assyrians and Achaemenids. 
Many German scholars, artists and musician contributed to this revitalization including, Friedrich Nietzsche’s work Thus Spoke Zarathustra, 1883 and Persian March by Johann Strauss II autumn of 1864.

PROF. DAVID STROANCH LETTER

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, BERKELEYDEPARTMENT OF NEAR EASTERN STUDIES• 250 BARROWS HALLTEL. (510) 642-3757 • FAX (510) 643-8430 • http://www.nes.berkeley.edu/BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA 94720-1940
“A First for the Twenty-First Century AD: A Statue of Cyrus the Great”
As many of you who are here today will be well aware, Mr. Bahram Zarinafsar, a gifted sculptor and painter, who is an architect by profession, has devoted a substantial part of the past few years to the completion of an unusual – and compelling – work of art. Indeed, he has spent much of this timeselflessly researching, and tirelessly working on, the completion of the imposing statue of Cyrus the Great that now stands before you.Cyrus, one of the most memorable rulers in the long history of Iran, ruled a little over 2,500 years ago, from 559 to 530 BC. Again, as most of you already know, Cyrus founded the Achaemenid Persian Empire, a huge empire that stretched, by the time of his death, from the steppes of Central Asia to the borders of Egypt and from the northeast corner of the Mediterranean to the borders of India. This vast area constituted the territory of the greatest empire that the world had yet seen.In visual terms, however, Cyrus himself remains an elusive figure. For all his achievements, and for all the praises that have been heaped upon him for his humane and tolerant treatment of those who came to be included among his subjects, we do not have a single representation of this extraordinary individual that dates from his own lifetime.
Even at his elegant upland capital – Pasargadae or Pasargad – located in a mountain-ringed plain in southwestern Iran, where he defeated Astyages, the last king of Media, in 550 BC, this singular monarch did not leave any image of himself that is still in existence.
Although some scholars have suggested that the famous carved relief of a Four-Winged Figure that stands in the main gateway at Pasargadae could be a representation of Cyrus, this seems in the end to be very unlikely. A winged image of this mythical nature has to be a depiction of a supernatural guardian as opposed to a portrait of a Persian king.
Accordingly, Mr. Zarinafsar took part of his inspiration for his portrait of Cyrus from two particularly important representations of Darius the Great, who reigned from 522 to 486 BC. The first of these dates from about 520 BC and comes from Darius’ celebrated victory relief at Bisitun, located on a high cliff above the age-old highway between Hamadan and Kermanshah.
The second vital portrait of Darius was discovered in situ in the gate of Darius at Susa a little less than fifty years ago. From various clues it is clear that this more than life-sized statue was carved in Egypt and one of its several hieroglyphic inscriptions even affirms that the statue was made to show that “the Persian man held Egypt”. Such was the quality of this beautifully carved stone statue that Xerxes, Darius’ son and heir, apparently gave orders that it should be transported all the way from Egypt to Susa – although whether this happened by land or by sea is not known.
With insights provided by these and other choice objects of Achaemenid date, with the advice of various specialists in Achaemenid art and archaeology, and especially with his own well-honed artistic instincts, Bahram Zarinafsar has given us what I consider to be a most acceptable – and agreeable – representation of Cyrus the Great. It is also a matter for great gratification that this striking statue of one of history’s more unusual and attractive figures is now ready to be shown in various carefully selected venues before finding a permanent home in some suitably distinguished setting.
DAVID STRONACHProfessor Emeritus of Near Eastern StudiesUniversity of California, Berkeley

Bronze Sculpture of Cyrus The Great

Centuries of persian / iranian values

Truth

human dignity

freedom

good thoughts

good words

good deeds

A TRIBUTE TO ERNST EMIL HERZFELD

مشاورین تندیس کوروش

SCULPTURE OF CYRUS THE GREAT CONSULTANTS

prof. david stronach

Prof. abbas Alizadeh

Prof. ROshan Hubbard

Prof. Ali Akbar Jafarey

prof. Fataneh farid

Photography

PROF. DAVID STROANCH LETTER

Cyrus the great