Neo-Assyrian period, reign of Ashurnasirpal II; 883–859 B.C.
Excavated at Nimrud (ancient Kalhu), northern Mesopotamia

Like modern billboards trumpeting the virtues of some authoritarian
ruler, the reliefs in Ashur-nasir-pal II's palace served a
propagandistic purpose, proclaiming the king's legitimacy.
Because most people in the ancient Near East understood the
administration of the state as a collaborative effort between
the king and the gods, many of the reliefs show the ruler and
his supernatural attendants celebrating religious rituals.
The most common depict the ruler and his winged protectors (genies)
tending a sacred tree, an ancient symbol associated with the divine power
to bestow life.

from: Brooklyn Museum