- Museum number
- 90858
- Description
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Limestone stela in the form of a boundary-stone: consisting of a block of calcareous limestone, shaped and prepared on four sides to take sculptures and inscriptions. It is now mounted on a stone plinth. Face A has been sculptured in comparatively high relief with symbols, arranged in six registers; First register: (1) Eight-pointed star ; (2) Crescent; (3) Solar disc. Second register : (4) Horned headdress upon a shrine; (5) A second horned headdress upon a shrine; (6) A third horned headdress upon a shrine. Third register : (7) Spear-head upon a shrine, beside which appears the fore-part of a horned dragon ; (8) Wedge upon a shrine, beside which appears the fore-part of a horned dragon, or composite monster ; (9) Yoke reversed, upon a shrine. Fourth register: (10) Eagle-headed mace, or standard; (11) Twin-lion-headed mace, or standard ; (12) Horse's head, with neck and shoulders, upon a shrine, standing within a double arch upon a raised base, possibly intended to represent a shrine; (13) Bird on perch. Fifth register: (14) The goddess Gula seated upon a shrine, with a dog lying beside her ; (15) Scorpion-man, wearing a cylindrical headdress, and shooting with a bow. The Scorpion-man has the head, arms and torso of a man, and below his girdle he has the body and tail of a scorpion, and the legs and claws of a bird. Sixth register: (16) Lightning-fork, supported by a bull, couchant; (17) Turtle: (18) Scorpion; (19) Lamp on pedestal; and (20) Serpent, extending from the centre of the stone at the top, down the left-hand side of the first five registers. Faces B and C each bear a single column of inscription, the lines running the full width of the stone. The top of the stone and Face D have been left blank, except for the serpent, which has been carved to the left of the emblems on Face A. Inscribed with a Charter from the reign of Nebuchadnezzar I.
- Dimensions
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Height: 64 centimetres
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Length: 21 centimetres
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Width: 18 centimetres
- $Inscriptions
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- Curator's comments
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Though the stele is inscribed with a charter of privileges, the form of the stone and the presence of symbols justify its classification among the kudurru-texts. For a second charter of Nebuchadnezzar I, engraved upon a stone tablet, see 1863,0826.1 (BM. 90841).
The kudurru of Gula-eresh 1907,1014.1 (BM 102485), if classified among the dated kudurrus, would be placed between the charter of Nebuchadezzar I and the kudurrus of Marduk-nadin-akhe's time, since it may be assigned to about the period of Enlil-nadin-aplu.
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The object was sent for moulding by Mr Derek Giles from 15 November 1982 and 10 March 1983 (WAA, 'Objects to Lab' book). In set with 1881,0428.33 (BM.91002).
Moulded and cast; cast priced at 14 shillings by D. Brucciani (1910) and catalogued as "tablet sculptured in relief with a scene representing the worship of the Sun-god in the temple at Sippar, and inscribed with a record of the restoration of the temple, and particulars of the services to be held". The cast is listed as available in the British Museum Facsimile Service 'Catalogue of Replicas from British Museum collections' (n.d.), in the series "Boundary Stones and Memorial Tablets".
- Location
- On display (G55/dc2)
- Exhibition history
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Exhibited:
2012 24 May-30 Sep, BM, 'The horse: from Arabia to Royal Ascot'
2008 26 Jun-5 Oct, Berlin, Vorderasiatisches Museum-Pergamonmuseum, 'Babylon, Myth and Truth'
2008 14 Mar-2 Jun, Paris, Musée du Louvre, 'Babylon'
Babylonian Room, wall-case 10
- Acquisition date
- 1882
- Department
- Middle East
- BM/Big number
- 90858
- Registration number
- 1882,0522.1800
- Additional IDs
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Miscellaneous number: 1882,0522.22
