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Who is the ancient king looking down on Civic Center?

Artist Fred Parhad's bronze sculpture of Assyrian King Ashurbanipal was erected in front of the San Francisco Main Library in 1987.

A regal statue keeps watch of San Francisco Main Library's Fulton Street entrance. Who is he and why is he there? 

That's the question Angelo Sphere posed to KALW's collaborative news project Hey Area. Reporter Jürgen Klemm tracked down the sculptor of the statue, Fred Parhad, to learn the answer. Click on the audio player above to hear their conversation.

This story first aired in April 2017.

What have you always wondered about the Bay Area? Ask us here.

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