It's National 3-D Day and we're exploring this silver cult vessel from the new immersive experience "MESOPOTAMIA." For Mesopotamian kings, appeasing the gods was a high priority. Kings gifted expensive votive offerings in temples, like this stunning silver jar. The jar stands over a foot tall and is made from a single large sheet of silver. The main register of decoration around the vessel's body shows a lion-headed eagle, the animal attribute of the god Ningirsu, who personified the roaring celestial storm. It comes from the city of Girsu (modern Tello, Iraq). An inscription in Sumerian around the vessel's neck provides information about its donor and function. It was dedicated to Ningirsu by King Enmetena in around 2420 BC. The vessel was intended to hold the daily food that priests would offer to the god. It is extremely rare for such a large piece of silver to survive from antiquity. Most precious metals were later melted down for reuse. Tap the #LinkInBio to journey throu...