Babylonian royal cuneiform foundation cone of King Lipit-Ishtar

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A clay foundation cone with a royal cuneiform inscription for King Lipit-Ishtar. The cone has lost some parts of the inscription but the full text would have read: “Lipit-Ishtar, shepherd who reveres Nippur, steadfast farmer of Ur, unceasing in the care of Eridu, en-priest worthy of Uruk, King of Isin, King of the land of Sumer and Akkad, favorite of the goddess Ishtar, am I. When I, Lipit-Ishtar, son of the god Enlil, established justice in the land of Sumer and Akkad, I built a storeroom, pleasing(?) to the gods Enlil and Ninlil, in Isin, my royal capital, at the palace gate”

Culture
Mesopotamia, Old Babylonian period, reign of King Lipit-Ishtar, c. 1934-1924 BC

Size
11.1 x 5 cms

Condition
Losses as shown, the surface has been stabilised

Provenance
Ex. private collection, London, UK; purchased at a local auction from a deceased estate where this cone was found among some chess pieces in an early 20th Century box.

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