Ashurbanipal, Bronze sculpture at Civic Center, San Francisco, US

Ashurbanipal is a bronze sculpture at the Civic Center in San Francisco depicting an ancient Assyrian king holding a clay tablet and standing in characteristic dress of the period. The approximately 15-foot tall figure stands on a decorated pedestal between the Main Library and the Asian Art Museum.

Fred Parhad, an Iraqi-born artist of Assyrian descent, designed the statue after studying the Assyrian collection at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The Assyrian Foundation for the Arts, led by president Narsai David, commissioned it with funds collected from Assyrians across the United States. It cost a reported $100,000 and was unveiled on May 29, 1988, at the entrance to the Asian Art Museum on Van Ness Avenue, before moving to Fulton Street.

The inscriptions on the base display text in English, Akkadian cuneiform, and Aramaic, reflecting the diverse history of ancient Mesopotamian civilizations. Visitors can see these different writing systems side by side and understand how these cultures were connected.

The monument stands on Fulton Street between the Main Library and the Asian Art Museum, making it easy to locate. The area around the statue is accessible and part of a public cultural zone that visitors naturally pass through.

The depiction of the king wearing a short skirt and holding a clay tablet sparked discussions within the Assyrian community about historical accuracy. Visitors often become curious about this unusual imagery and the debate it represents.