Ashurbanipal was the last powerful Assyrian king, ruling from about 668 BC to 627 BC. He is famous for amassing a large library at Ninevah, lion hunting, military accomplishments and extreme cruelty to his enemies.
Which is why I was surprised, on my visit to the British Museum, to see a wall relief called "The Garden Party of Ashurbanipal:"
Here is Ashurbanipal with his queen, reclining in a leafy pavilion. They are drinking wine and being cooled by fans and serenaded by musicians. The king, as is customary, is depicted as slightly taller, and seated slightly higher than anyone else. The detail of the furniture, the instruments, and the plants, is exquisite. I remember seeing this with my husband and commenting how unusual a domestic and romantic scene like this was in Assyrian art. I really liked the queen's crown too.
My husband, like King Ashurbanipal, had his eye on the big picture. "What's on that tree over there," he asked, "...a head?"
Yes, the King is looking over his queen and her crown, at the head of his recently decapitated enemy, King Teumman of Elam, hung festively in a tree.
Well, why settle for a party lantern when you've got an Elam-(l)ite? Say what you will about their garden parties -- the Assyrians knew how to get ahead.
