A carved pink chalcedony cylinder seal with nine columns of cuneiform text, surrounding a standing male figure with raised right hand and a winged human-headed bull above; the inscription transcribes and translates as follow:

(1) en-šà-du sukkal.m[ah]/ Ensadu (Nuska) the grand vizier
(2) en-lìl-là-ke/ of Enlil
(3) zi eš-bar til-la/ true, with the complete (power of)
(4) inim UB x e-ra-kin!(=KAB!)?/ has sent the command of (..) to you
(5) ud-šú-uš e SAG SÌG(?) kaš₄-ì/ daily run to the (...)
(6) èš ki-šà ḫè-me! –en/ you are indeed the shrine where the (is)
(7) in-da-aš-ú-la-an/ Oh, Indas-ulan
(8) dumu ku-ri-gal-zu/ son of Kurigalzu
(9) lugal ki-šàr-ra/ king of the universe.

PROVENANCE:
Property of a London gentleman; part of his family collection since the 1970s.

FOOTNOTES:
The name Kurigalzu can refer to two Kassite rules, Kurigalzu I. and Kurigalzu II. While the first one was known for an extensive building program in Babylon and surrounding area; the second one is most famous for the battle of Sugagu. Both kings are difficult to distinguish on known descriptions, since it was not customary to assign regnal year numbers. A few royal inscriptions are clearly assigned to Kurigalzu II since they give the name of his father, Burna-Burias, and sometimes appear on the cylinder seals of his servants.