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Iran Says British Museum Refuses to Lend Cyrus Cylinder
By STAN PARCHIN
October 15, 2009
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| Babylonian. Cyrus Cylinder (ca. 539 B.C.). Clay. L. 22.86 cm (9 in.); Th. 10.0 cm (3.9 in.). © The Trustees of the British Museum. |
Iran threatened on October 12, 2009 to cease all cooperation with the United Kingdom's archaeological endeavors and special exhibitions in two months if the British Museum does not lend the Islamic nation the Cyrus Cylinder (ca. 539 B.C.), a Babylonian artifact of Persian historical importance, for public display.
The British Museum promised to loan the Cyrus Cylinder to Tehran after its appearance in Forgotten Empire: The World of Ancient Persia (September 9, 2005-January 8, 2006), a popular presentation of 321 antiquities (many from the National Museum of Iran) also seen at the CaixaForum in Barcelona, Spain (March 8-June 11, 2006). According to the arrangement, the object was to be exhibited in Iran after its inclusion in the museum's show Babylon: Myth and Reality (November 13, 2008-March 15, 2009) and the artifact's temporary installation in the institution's new Iranian art gallery.
Hamid Baqaei, vice president in charge of Iran’s Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization, said, "The ancient cylinder was scheduled to be lent in September but the director of the British Museum refused to do so, citing Iran’s post-election political state." The British Museum, referring to its standard policy, reaffirmed its commitment to lending the artifact when it's assured that Iran's domestic situation is suitable for the object to be displayed there. Discussions about the loan's timing began only recently.
The Cyrus Cylinder
The clay Cyrus Cylinder, buried in the foundations of Babylon's city wall, was discovered in 1879. Its cuneiform inscription tells of Babylon's conquest in 539 B.C. by Cyrus II (559-530 B.C.), the Achaemenid founder of the Persian Empire. According to its text, Cyrus, chosen by Marduk, the city's patron god, captured Nabonidus (555-539 B.C.), Babylon's last king. Under the Persian monarch's rule, Babylon's traditional deities, their temples and cults were restored and deported peoples and their gods were allowed to return to their homelands. Cyrus' measure of religious toleration was a distinct departure from the policies of earlier Assyrian and Babylonian rulers.
Sources
Curtis, John E. and Nigel Tallis (eds.), et al. Forgotten Empire: The World of Ancient Persia (exh. cat.). Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press, 2005, 59.
Finkel, I.L. and M.J. Seymour (eds.), et al. Babylon: Myth and Reality (exh. cat.). London: The British Museum Press, 2008., 171-172.