Sumerian Clay Foundation Nail dedicated to King Gudea building Eninnu Temple

£ 1,850.00

A well-preserved Sumerian clay foundation nail dedicated to King Gudea. The cone-shaped piece with a projecting top is inscribed with cuneiform writing arranged in vertical tables. Such inscriptions were made by impressing a sharpened reed or stick into the still-wet clay just before the firing process. The text speaks of Gudea, Ensi of Lagash (𒉢𒁓𒆷𒆠  𒑐𒋼𒋛  𒅗𒌤𒀀), building the Eninnu temple (𒂍𒐐) for the god Ninĝirsu (𒀭𒎏𒄈𒋢). Such votive cones were buried in the walls and beneath the floors of important buildings during construction to sanctify the site and to create a historical memory of the ruler and his achievements.

Date: Circa 2144-2124 BC
Provenance: Ex. DG Surrey gentleman's collection, purchased on the London Art Market from ADA member, 1990s-onwards.
Condition: Very fine condition. The cone is intact and the inscription is clear in most places. The top of the nail is slightly misshapen and was likely damaged in antiquity. Earthly encrustations cover the surface.

SOLD

SKU: NES-193 Categories: , Tag:

The invention of writing in approximately 3300 B.C. was one of many developments in administrative technology–including the use of geometric tokens for counting and cylinder seals to guarantee transactions–that accompanied the growth of the first cities and states in southern Mesopotamia. Proto-cuneiform is the name given to the earliest form of writing–pictograms that were drawn on clay tablets. Gradually, the pictograms became abstracted into cuneiform (Latin, “wedge-shaped”) signs that were impressed rather than drawn. At its greatest extent, cuneiform writing was used from the Mediterranean coast to southern Mesopotamia. It was adapted to write at least fifteen different languages. The last dated cuneiform text has a date corresponding to AD 75, although the script probably continued in use over the next two centuries for scholarly and religious texts.

Gudea was a governor (ensi) in the southern city-state of Lagash, part of the powerful empire of Akkad, which collapsed around 2200 BC as a result of the attacks by the Guti. Before then, Lagash had enjoyed a period of relative peace and prosperity. The majority of Gudea’s rule was dedicated to an extensive program of temple construction. Gudea’s strong position is demonstrated by the many statues representing him that were erected in those temples.

Weight 205.5 g
Dimensions L 12 x W 5.7 cm
Pottery

Clay

Region

Near East (Western Asiatic)

Reference: For a similar foundation cone, Musée des Beaux-Arts de Lyon, item 1943-26

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