Parhad's work was met with some criticism by local Assyrians, who argued it was inaccurate to portray Ashurbanipal holding a clay tablet and a lion, or wearing a skirt.

In the palace of Sargon II at Khorsabad, a group of at least seven lamassu and two such heroes with lions surrounded the entrance to the "throne room", "a concentration of figures which produced an overwhelming impression of power.

[5] The 8-foot (2.4 m) patinated bronze statue,[1][3] mounted on a base and a plinth to reach a total height of 15 feet (4.6 m), weighs approximately 1,800 pounds (820 kg).

[6] The bearded king is shown wearing earrings and a tunic; he is holding a clay tablet in one hand and restraining a lion cub against his chest with the other.

[7] The "larger-than-life", full length statue stands above a plinth adorned with a lotus blossom design and a concrete base with an anti-graffiti coating.

[3] It was presented to the City of San Francisco as a gift from the Assyrian people on May 29, 1988,[11] unveiled at the entry to the Asian Art Museum on Van Ness Avenue.

[2] The statue now stands on Fulton Street between the Main Library and Asian Art Museum, within the city's Civic Center.

In December 1987, as news began to circulate about the commissioned work, local Assyrians accused Parhad of misrepresenting Ashurbanipal.

Criticisms included the depiction of the king holding both a clay tablet and a lion, which they argued he "wouldn't do", and for dressing him in a skirt, which they claimed he would never have worn.

"[3] Parhad defended the accuracy of his work, while also admitting that he took artistic liberties and attempted to incorporate the various aspects of Assyrian culture, from its hunting mastery to its admiration for writing.