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How did the statues from Tall al-Asmar show an early Sumerian sculptural style?

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The Great Ziggurat of Ur in Iraq, a massive ancient brick structure with broad staircases and terraced levels, stands alone in a barren landscape. — Mesopotamian art and architecture Ziggurat at Ur (modern Tall al-Muqayyar, Iraq), constructed c. 2100 bce.

The statues discovered at Tall al-Asmar (ancient Eshnunna) represent an early phase of the Early Dynastic period in Sumerian history. These figures are characterized by a distinct geometric simplification of forms, a style that is considered both ingenious and aesthetically refined by modern standards.1

This approach to sculpture reflects the broader Sumerian tendency to retain the amorphous, boulder-like character of the stone from which the figures were carved, as high-quality stone had to be imported from remote regions. Despite this specific stylistic phase, these statues adhere to the conventional Sumerian sculptural formula, which typically features figures in an attitude of prayer with hands clasped, often wearing woolen skirts (kaunakes) and emphasizing the eyes and eyebrows through colored inlay.1