Details

LOT 0316

Western Asiatic Mesopotamian Staff of Justice

EARLY 1ST MILLENNIUM BC

15" (320 grams, 38cm).

A staff comprising a hollow alabaster shaft with ceramic terminals; lower end conical in shape with concave base, upper end with rounded shoulder, narrow neck and wide flat rim open to reveal hollow shaft.

Provenance

From the private collection of a North West London lady; previously with a central London gallery; formerly acquired before 1990.

Literature

Shamash, also known in the Sumerian tradition as Utu, was the Babylonian/Assyrian god of the sun and divine justice and held a central position in the Mesopotamian pantheon. Shamash was the judge of both heaven and earth and, at night, of the underworld. According to legend, Shamash handed over the code of laws to the Babylonian king Hammurabi, the sixth king of Babylonian king. These laws have survived on a stele, now in the Louvre museum, including a depiction of the transaction. The god is usually depicted seated upon a throne holding the symbols of justice and righteousness, the staff and the ring.

CONDITION