This Assyrian relief shows a winged protective deity performing a ritual act, anointing a sacred object with a perfume cone dipped from a pail he carries. Similar figures, sometimes eagle-headed, appear throughout Assyrian palace art and are thought to symbolize divine protection and purification, often in relation to sacred trees. The figure is richly detailed, with elaborately curled hair and beard, heavy fringed garments, and jewelry, reflecting royal and divine status. An inscription running