SF STATUE SERIES PT. 1: ASHURBANIPAL

Across from the SF Main Public Library, standing in front of the south wall of the Asian Art Museum, is the mighty statue of Assyrian king Ashurbanipal by Iraqi sculptor Fred Parhad (who at the time was a California resident). Commissioned in 1987 by The Assyrian Fund For The Arts and installed in 1988, the statue is a truly majestic 8 foot tall triumph. When it was installed, there was (of course) controversy around HOW it looked. Some said it looked more like the hero of the Babylonian epic Gilgamesh. But regardless of this fact, it was the first (maybe only) statue of this 7th century ruler and a gem for the city.
As for Fred Parhad, he has since done a statue of Sumuramat for Chicago and one of Hammurabi for Detroit.