Description:

Ancient Near East, Neo-Babylonian Dynasty, reign of Nebuchadnezzar II, ca. 604 to 581 BCE. A hand-built clay temple brick fragment with 5 partial lines recording a dedication to King Nebuchadnezzar II. When complete, this tablet likely followed Professor Lambert's translation reads as follows: "Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, provisioner of Esagil and Ezida, prime son of Nabopolassar, King of Babylon, am I. Ebabbara, the Temple of Shamash in Larsa I restored as it was before, for Shamash, my Lord." The cuneiform characters are nicely preserved. Size: 4.5" W x 3.5" H (11.4 cm x 8.9 cm); 4.1" H (10.4 cm) on included custom stand.

Following the defeat of the Assyrian Empire by the Babylonians in 612 BCE, Nebuchadnezzar II rebuilt the city of Babylon on a grand scale. It has been estimated that roughly 15 million baked bricks were used in the construction of official buildings. The bricks are usually square and often bear cuneiform inscriptions, generally made with a large stamp as seen here.

Provenance: East Coast collection, New York Gallery, New York City, New York, USA, acquired in 2015; ex-Ancient Resource, Montrose, California, USA; ex-private Maryland, USA collection

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#175780

  • Condition: Fragment of a larger brick as shown. Chips and abrasions commensurate with age, with minor softening to some cuneiform characters, and light earthen deposits. Nice preservation to most cuneiform characters.

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November 17, 2022 8:00 AM MST
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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