There is no uniform socially-recognised way to compile a biography of an object. People throughout the world and across time have perceived the social world and its agents differently. Taking the Cyrus Cylinder as an example this essay begins by narrating its biography and ends with a critique of such narration. The essay demonstrates that ‘object biography’ reflects the mutually informed and ever-changing relationship between objects and humans, and that object’s biography expands as the object acquires new meaning with each new context. The essay argues for an alternative term ‘relic’ used to highlight the symbolic and religious aspects of interactions. Studying approaches to object biographies allows to rethink the existing practices and develop more objective ones to be applied within institutions.

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The clay Cyrus Cylinder is incised with cuneiform inscription in Babylonian language by the scribe Qisti- Marduk [fig. 1]. The inscription describes the evil ruler of Babylon who imposed labour-service on its free population and interrupted the daily offerings to god Marduk causing him to leave the shrines. Marduk proclaimed the truehearted Cyrus, Persian king of Anshan, king over ‘all of everything’. The text then addresses the reader directly in Cyrus’ words: “I am Cyrus, king of the universe, the great king”, it follows on. The ruler describes how he went into Babylon as the ‘harbinger of peace’ and without a battle saved the city from hardship....