BRIQUE NOMINATIVE DE NABUCHODONOSOR II

NAME BRICK OF NABUCHODONOSOR II
(604 - 562 B.C.)
Babylonian foundation brick in beige clay
with name inscriptions in cuneiform
in cuneiform script on one face
and around the perimeter, mentioning the name
name of the ruler and his devotion to major
construction projects, in particular
the restoration and enlargement of the city
of Babylon and its sacred structures.
Neo-Babylonian, reign of Nebuchadnezzar II
(- 604 to - 562 B.C.).
Height: 26.3 cm - Width: 26.2 cm
(Damage, wear, broken and glued back together)

PROVENANCE
- Parisian collection: reputedly acquired
in provincial auction houses.
- Collin du Bocage sale, May 17, 2018,
lot 92.
- Private collection.

A similar foundation brick is preserved
Musée du Louvre [N° AO 32450].
In ancient Mesopotamia, foundation bricks
foundation bricks marked the beginning
of a building's construction. The inscriptions
bore not only the name of the king
but also invocations to the patron gods
gods, asking for their blessing
construction. The inscriptions served to
immortalize the works of the king and inscribe
his reign in the divine and political history
of the region. Nebuchadnezzar II is best known
known for his role in transforming Babylon
Babylon into a grandiose metropolis, and for the
and for the construction of emblematic monuments
such as the Ishtar Gate and the Hanging Gardens
one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
of the ancient world.