Ashurbanipal was the king most associated with advances in culture as well as protection of the State, and the last great king before the final defeat of the Assyrians. He possessed a rare interest in preserving the art and science of his day, sending emissaries to other lands to copy existing texts and record legends and histories — a compilation recognized as the world’s first true library.
The project began in 1983 with the completion of the model, drawing on the few depictions of the king that survive on ancient bas-reliefs. The eight-foot bronze took three years to complete, and in 1987 it was presented to the city of San Francisco as a gift from the Assyrian people, installed the following year at the side entrance to the Civic Center’s main library.
That building later became home to the Asian Art Museum, and a new library was built directly across the street — so that today Ashurbanipal stands with his back to the museum, facing the library.
