Which empire contributed winged statues?

The Neo-Assyrian Empire (883-612 BC) of Mesopotamia introduced the world to winged statues. The statues are called lamassu and represented a protective deity from earlier Assyrian times. The statues were meant to ward off evil and were generally placed at entrances of important buildings like the royal palace. They are also seen as a demonstration of power. The statue was usually depicted with a human head, an ox or lion torso, and bird wings. The statues acted as gateway guardians with the head representing intelligence, the torso representing strength, and the wings representing freedom.

The lamassu were also placed at the gate of cities. From the front, the statues seem to stand still. By viewing the statues from the side, they appear to be walking. It was not uncommon in Mesopotamia to have statues depicting a human head on a winged animal as the practice dates back to the Fourth Millennium B.C.