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Details
LOT 0278
Early Dynastic Terracotta Administrative Cuneiform Tablet Recording Livestock and their Owners
IIIB, 2400-2340 B.C.
3 in. (202 grams, 78 mm).
Pillow-shaped tablet with dense cuneiform text to two broad faces and one edge, concerning the listing of 146 sheep and their owners or shepherds:
| Column I | Column II | Column III |
|---|---|---|
5 sheep, Pirigni, Kor 2? 6 male sheep, Ur-ur of Umma 3 sheep, Zag-mu, ki ni mu zu 5 sheep, x x-gi 4 male sheep … | Ur-Ishkur, herder of Abdu 4 sheep, Urgu (of) E-RU 2 … , herder IL, scribe 3 Gimni, herder chief galla-official 5 male sheep, Ur-lu, .. 2 sheep Lu-ra, herder… | …, herder 2 male sheep, Akadu, son of Lugal-sanga 2 Shesh-zimu 3 Zagmu, Akadu 2 Ekalsi 1 Gimdu, son of Ekal 2 Mashda 1 … Guzi… 2 …kam … NA |
| Column IV | Reverse Column V | Column VI |
2 Ur-…dua 6 Zagmu, herder of Mesanne 1 Urtul 3 GISH.MI, herder of Ilum-su?ni 4 Lugal-shalasu Adda, singer? 5 Almu 2 Ur-Ezida IGI MI ZI SI | 3 Lueshla 2 Ur-… NE-RA 8 Azuzu 2 Adda, captain 1 En…du, nuesh-officiant 3 Sheshpadda, overseer 2 … ki-bi … … 6 E… | 1 Ur… … 1 Ur … 1 … 3 Dingir-urmu 1 Pirigni Da… 1 Ur-Ninshaza, wife of U-u 4 Lugallu, herder of Lugalla…, majordomo 5 …igi-en … 1 Lugal-E…nisi |
| Column VII | Column VIII | Total |
4 E-gish MI bi?, .., farmer 1 Ur-dingir, …si-TExESZ3 1 … 1 Lugal-nuduga 1 Aba-Enlil 1 Lugal … 2 Urmes 1 Urdam 1 Akadu, Adda… 1 U-u, … Umunene | 2 … -niE-u? (space) | Its total: 146 sheep, … Pirigni (is) kush-official. |
Provenance
with Laemmle Gallery, San Vicente Boulevard, Los Angeles, USA.
Acquired from the above in the early 1970s.
with Bonhams, London, 13 April 2011, no.133.
Private central European collection.
Accompanied by copies of the relevant Bonhams catalogue pages.
Accompanied by a copy of the translation for this tablet.
This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12121-218147.
Literature
See Pomponio, F. and Visicato, G., I mezzi di pagamento nei contratti di Fara e il loro rapport con il funzionario bala, Studia Asiana, 7, pp.149-166, Roma, 2011, for discussion of territorial sales and their documentation in cuneiform ceramic records.
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LOT 0278
Early Dynastic Terracotta Administrative Cuneiform Tablet Recording Livestock and their Owners
Estimate £18,000 - 24,000€20,880 - 27,840 (for guidance only)$24,300 - 32,400 (for guidance only)
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