The headless statue was discovered at the Royal Palace of Mari during excavations directed by French archaeologist André Parrot.

[2] The soapstone statue depicts the standing figure in a traditional prayer posture with the hands clasped against the chest.

[1] The bottom of the robe bears a cuneiform inscription[4] in Akkadian stating the name and position of the figure, and the deity the statue was dedicated to.

[1] The inscription, engraved in ten columns,[4] reads: "Iddi-Ilum, shakkanakku of Mari, has dedicated his statue to Inanna.

During the reign of Mari's last king, Zimrilim, these ancestral rulers were actively promoted through honorific rituals known as "kispum."