Ancient Near East, Neo-Babylonian Dynasty, reign of Nebuchadnezzar II, ca. 604 to 581 BCE. A fantastic clay tablet stamped with a dedication to the most famous of all Kings of Babylon - Nebuchadnezzar II. The rectangular tablet has flat faces and sides as well as a slightly off-center stamped inscription. The importance of this tablet is reflected by the fact that the inscription of other similar examples has been deciphered by Professor Lambert of Birmingham University, an internationally renowned expert in this field. 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." Size: 7.875" W x 5" H (20 cm x 12.7 cm); 6.2" H (15.7 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.
A stylistically-similar example hammered for 5,250 GBP ($6,790.61) at Christie's, London, South Kensington "Antiquities Including the Plesch Collection of Ancient Glass" auction (sale 5951, April 28, 2009, lot 97).
Provenance: private Orange County, California, USA collection acquired before 2000
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#153687
Condition
Minor nicks to stamped inscription, peripheries, and verso, with light encrustations, and minor fading to some cuneiform characters, otherwise intact and near-choice. Light earthen deposits throughout. Inscription is still mostly legible.