Abu

This statue was found under the floor of the Square Temple in Tell Asmar and is dated to ED II period (2750/2700–2600BC)...The images are from this amazing paper "Sculpture of the Third Millennium B.C. from Tell Asmar and Khafajah" 

In this article, Henry Frankfort proposes that this statue, much bigger than any other statue found in Tell Asmar, is the depiction of the god Abu, god of vegetation, whose name means "Father pasture"...

Most people talk about this statue's eyes. And cool eyes they are.

But to me, the statue's feet are much more interesting. 

What is interesting is that the statue stands on a base with a very interesting relief. Henry Frankfort describes it as "Anzu bird standing between two mountain goats lying on leafy branches..." 

I have to correct Henry Frankfort. These are Goitered gazelles, not mountain goats. See the horns?

Ibex goat

Goitered gazelle

Anzu bird was the symbol of the thunder god Ninurta/Ningirsu. It is best known from the Entemena vase where it is depicted as a lion headed eagle flanked by (actually grabbing) two mountain goats (Ibexes). 

I talked about this in my post about "Entemena vase"

But apparently the earliest depiction of Anzu bird has eagle head...In the paper "God or worshiper" Thorkild Jakobsen says that the earliest form under which Ninurta/Ningirsu was worshiped was an enormous black eagle gliding with outstretched wings. 

Thorkild Jakobsen says that this was a representation of a black storm cloud, but I think that this was actually an enormous eagle gliding with outstretched wings: a vulture...

But also a storm cloud. 

Remember the link between vultures and the rain season: in Mesopotamia vultures start mating at the beginning of the rain season, in November...I talked about it in my post "Giant eagle dude with mouflons" about this beautiful Bactrian gold stamps seal...

Ninurta is The Eagle, turned The Eagle Dude...

And apparently, Abu, the god of vegetation, was just another name for Ninurta/Ningirsu, thunder god...Which is kind of obvious considering that in Mesopotamia, it is the rain season, which brings vegetation back to life...

And interestingly, the rains season starts when vultures start their mating synchronised gliding routines. Oh and when Goitered gazelles start their mating too...I talked about this in my post "Two headed dragon" about this beautiful Iranian Marlik cup.

Which is why on the base of the statue of the god of vegetation Abu, we see the (lion headed) Eagle of the thunderstorm god, flanked by two Goitered gazelles...

By the way, I will talk about how the Storm Eagle acquired the lion head soon...