Libation cup dedicated from the king Gudea of Lagash to the god Ningishzida, dating to about 2200 B.C. Ningishzida, “Master of the well-grown tree”, was a god of trees, representing the powers in the root that nourish and sustain the tree. In his quality of god of the tree roots, he was regarded as an underground being, linked with the netherworld powers, and represented in the shape of a snake-man. His symbol was that of a tree trunk, around which serpents were winding, an image resembling the caduceus of the Greek god Hermes. The object is in the Louvre Museum, Paris.

[Image: http://www.garyosborn.moonfruit.com/#/the-serpent-staff/4572822704]