c.19th-17th century BC. A bifacial pillow-shaped tablet, accompanied by a typed and signed scholarly note issued by the late W.G. Lambert, Professor of Assyriology at the University of Birmingham, 1970-1993, which states: 'Clay tablet, 84 x 57mm, with Sumerian Literary Text. This tablet has 18 lines of cuneiform script on the obverse, and 7 on the reverse. It is Old Babylonian in date, that is c.1900-1700 B.C., and is not too well preserved, in that not a single line remains complete. The reverse is the least well preserved side. On the obverse one can discern enough to conjecture that this is a royal hymn, probably from the Isin-Larsa period. Lines 12-17 tell how a succession of gods endowed the king being praised with sundry virtues: Translation Sin [the moon-god], prime son of Enlil, [called] him with a magnificent name. Utu [the sun-god], great judge of heaven and earth, [...] [endowed him] with justice and uprightness. Father Enki, lord of [...presented him with] extensive wisdom and [...] While at this moment the tablet does not seem of great importance, in due course, if further duplicates are found, it may well help to reconstitute the whole text.' 165 grams, 85mm (3 1/4"). Part of a specialised collection of cuneiform texts, the property of a London gentleman and housed in London before 1992, thence by descent to family members; examined by Professor Wilfrid George Lambert FBA (1926-2011), historian, archaeologist, and specialist in Assyriology and Near Eastern archaeology, in the late 1980s and early 1990s; this small collection is exceptional for the variety of types, including some very rare and well preserved examples; accompanied by an original typed and signed scholarly note no.61, written by the late W.G. Lambert, Professor of Assyriology at the University of Birmingham, 1970-1993; this lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by AIAD certificate number no.10968-180763. Condition Report Fair condition.