archaicwonder:Sumerian Votive Dog , First Dynasty of Isin, Circa 1896-1874 BCEstimated at $97,000 -
archaicwonder:Sumerian Votive Dog , First Dynasty of Isin, Circa 1896-1874 BCEstimated at $97,000 - 130,000A basalt dog figure with inlaid eyes of calcite with lapis lazuli pupils, its sloping back incised with a large panel of ten columns of cuneiform text, ‘To Nin-Isina, his lady, the lady who binds up the injured (?) for the life of Bur-Sin, the mighty king, king of Isin, Enlil-ennam, son of Zibuni, dedicated (this statuette)’.Bur-sin was king of Isin in Southern Mesopotamia during the First Dynasty of Isin, he reigned from 1896-1847 BC. Nin-Isina, the divine Lady of Isin, was the cheif deity of Isin and her symbol was the dog. She was also the goddess of healing, so one can surmise that this dog was a votive gift to the goddess from the unknown person ‘Enlil-ennam’ and comes from the town of Isin in southern Mesopotamia.Other names borne by the goddess Nin-Isina throughout Mesopotamia are Gula, Nin-Karrak, Nin Ezen, Ga-tum-dug and Nm-din-dug, the latter signifying “the lady who restores to life”, or the Goddess of Healing. After the Great Flood, she helped “breath life” back into mankind. The designation well emphasizes the chief trait of Bau-Gula which is that of healer. She is often spoken of as “the great physician,” and accordingly plays a specially prominent role in incantations and incantation rituals intended to relieve those suffering from disease. -- source link