5
A Sumerian Clay Cuneiform Tablet
Estimate: $2,500-$3,500
Sold
$1,800
Live Auction
Antiquities and Ancient Art
Size
Height 2 3/4 inches (6.99 cm).
Description
A Sumerian Clay Cuneiform Tablet
Old Babylonian Period, Circa 1800-1600 B.C.
Height 2 3/4 inches (6.99 cm).
Provenance
Provenance: Dikran G. Kelekian (1867-1951), New York. [by repute]Private Collection, New York, acquired in the 2000s.Artemis Gallery, Louisville, Fine Antiquities, Ethnographic & Fine Art, 13 August 2020, Lot 45A.This Old Babylonian letter, written in Akkadian, consists of 22 lines and is addressed from Munawirrum to Etel-pi-Nabium and the cooks. It begins with the phrase "When you see this tablet..." while the remainder is mostly legible, though some key signs remain unclear. The letter mentions soldiers, but the full context and subject of the message remain undeciphered; the two personal names are relatively common.