Antiquities and Ancient Art

Sale 1343

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| Chicago

May 23 | 11:00 AM EDT

Live

| Chicago

Lot 83

Lot 83

A Sumerian Clay Cuneiform Tablet

Status:

Closed

Estimate: $800 - $1,200

Estimate$800 – $1,200

Status

Closed

A Sumerian Clay Cuneiform Tablet

Old Babylonian Period, Reign of Rim-Sin, Circa 1808 B.C.

Height 2 1/4 inches (5.72 cm).

Property from the Collection of Mr. Felix Brejente, Schaumburg, Illinois

Provenance:

Harlan J. Berk, Chicago, where acquired by the present owner, 9 March 2021.

This tablet dating from the Old Babylonian Period is an administrative record of the distribution of three male sheep for various purposes in the palace. The issuance describes one for a ceremonial meal, one for the throne room, and one for the women's' quarters. The tablet is dated to 14th year of the reign of Rim-Sin I of Larsa and records the year as when "the troops of Uruk, Isin, Sutium, and Rapiqum were destroyed, and Irdanene, king of Uruk, was struck with a weapon." Beyond recording details of the palace administration, this tablet provides a window into the political and social landscape of the period. A full translation is available upon request.

Rim-Sin I of Larsa ruled at the peak of his city's hegemony over southern Mesopotamia. His long reign ended when his ally to the north, Hammurabi of Babylon, turned against him and conquered Larsa.

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Jacob Coley

Senior Vice President, Head of Department, Antiquities and Ancient Art

jacobcoley@freemansauction.com 312 280 1212

Mr. Coley joined the Antiquities department in 2021 after working as Managing Director in the Ancient Art department at Colnaghi, the world’s oldest commercial art gallery, where he helped to establish the Ancient Art department and launched Colnaghi New York in 2017. Prior to Colnaghi, Mr. Coley was in the Greek and Roman Art department at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Mr. Coley holds a B.A. from the University of Miami and an M.A. in Art Market from the Fashion Institute of Technology, and he earned an art-appraisal certificate from New York University.

Property for this auction is available for pick-up Monday-Friday: 8:30am-3pm at 222 N. Maplewood Ave

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Antiquities and Ancient Art

A Sumerian Clay Cuneiform Tablet

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