Episode 4 - Ishtar Adorned

In this episode we invite the Curator in Charge of the Department of Ancient Near Eastern Art at the Metropolitan Museum, Dr. Kim Benzel, to speak to us of ancient jewelry and how jewelry, in its shapes, materials, motifs and making is imbued with far more than the eye beholds. Dr. Kim Benzel who is an expert of ancient Near Eastern jewelry, and herself a maker having studied goldsmithing techniques, will speak to us of the multi-faceted nature of ancient jewelry making, and how these objects of superficial beauty can encapsulate other-worldly power, often transformed into objects of reverence themselves. We invite our listeners to join us for a fascinating exploration of the many meanings of ancient jewelry, with an expert who equally sheds light on complex techniques of making. In the exquisite objects we explore, another facet of the goddess Inana/Ishtar is revealed, as we discuss jewelry pieces fit for a goddess.Kim Benzel is Curator in Charge of the Department of Ancient Near Eastern Art at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. She holds a PhD in art history and archaeology from Columbia University, where her research focused on the grand funerary jewelry ensemble of an elite Mesopotamian woman of the 3rd millennium BC. She has studied ancient goldsmithing at the Kulicke-Stark Academy in New York. Dr. Benzel has participated in several archaeological excavations, primarily at sites in Syria. She teaches the ancient Near East sections of the Barnard College introductory survey of art history, as well as the ancient Near East portion of the curatorial studies course offered by the Institute of Fine Arts at New York University. Passionate about jewelry, she is a foremost expert on ancient Near Eastern bodily ornamentation.Music: Badiaa Bouhrizi (Neysatu)Tracks: كما قال ابي (as my father said) - self-released (2011)Pokemon - self-released (2011); also to appear in Kahrumusiqa album coming out on Akuphone (2021) Used with arrangement and permission from rights holders.Audio post-production: Aref Heidar (Ceé)Image: Necklace pendants and beads. 18th–17th century BC. Gold. Diameter of largest medallion 3.6cm. Provenance unknown, said to be from Dilbat, Iraq. 47.1a-h. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Fletcher, Fund 1947.