Sweden’s National Museum to Unveil 3,000-Year-Old Assyrian Artifact

STOCKHOLM — A rare Assyrian artifact, dating back more than three millennia, will go on public display for the first time at Sweden’s National Museum later this month, following decades in storage. 

The museum had long withheld the artifact from public view, citing concerns over its preservation. But after sustained advocacy from the Syriac (Aramean-Assyrian-Chaldean) community and cultural heritage groups, officials announced that the piece will be exhibited in a specially designed room to ensure its protection. 

The official unveiling is scheduled for May 22, in collaboration with the Assyrian National Federation in Sweden. The event will also feature cultural performances, including traditional Assyrian music, dance, and cuisine—offering visitors a rare window into one of history’s most influential civilizations. 

The artifact is believed to have once adorned the wall of a palace in the ancient city of Nimrud, a major Assyrian capital located in present-day northern Iraq. It was gifted to the museum in 1866 by Queen Josephine of Sweden, during the institution’s inauguration. 

Much of Iraq’s Chaldean-Syriac-Assyrian heritage has been lost or damaged in recent decades due to war, looting, and illicit trafficking. The public display of this artifact serves as both a tribute to a rich cultural legacy and a poignant reminder of what remains at risk.