The barrel cylinder fragment retains fifteen lines of a royal inscription for Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylon. The text translates as: [...] May I reach the prime of (my) life (and) attain very old age inside it. May I receive inside it the substantial tribute of kings of the (four) quarters (of the world and) all of the people. From the horizon to the zenith, wherever the sun rises, may I not have (any) enemies nor acquire (any) troublemaker(s). Inside it, may my descendants rule over the black-headed (people) forever.” - dating and translation by Renee Kovac. Fragment from a larger seal, with a 2cm crack running from the lower right edge, the surface and edges otherwise stable.
Cylinders like this were created to be buried, with their inscriptions intended mainly for the gods. At the same time, their makers hoped that future kings would uncover them during their own restoration work, ensuring that the original builder’s name lived on.
Provenance
Harold James Strickland Taylor (1922-2016), UK; acquired in Iraq, 1953-57
Harold James Strickland Taylor (1922–2016) was an enthusiastic amateur archaeologist whose early career began far from the field. He served as a Spitfire pilot with No. 16 Squadron, RAF, and in 1944 was forced to bail out over Holland. After evading the enemy for five days, he was eventually captured and interrogated by German forces. His wartime experiences are recounted in One Flight Too Many (1991), a copy of which is held by the Imperial War Museum.
Following the war, ‘Jimmy’ Taylor read history at Trinity College, Cambridge (1946-49) and subsequently trained as a teacher. In 1953 he took up a post with the Iraqi government as an English teacher, later becoming Head of English at the Primary Teachers Training College. During his time in Iraq (1953-57), he used extended vacation periods to explore the country’s archaeological sites. His travels took him to Nineveh, Mosul, Khorsabad, Tepe Gawra, Nimrud, and Assur, which he documented in engaging written accounts accompanied by charming illustrations. It was during this period that his collection was assembled.
