ABOVE: Two bracelets from the exceptional Nimrud Gold collection, which will be touring the world through 2010 to raise some money for the Iraq National Museum.

The Nimrud Gold, called the finest, earliest jewellery of the ancient world by people who know such things, will be going on a global roadshow to raise some money for the understandably cash-strapped Iraq National Museum.

The Art Newspaper reports that about 300 pieces of eighth-century BCE gold jewellery will make stops in Europe, North America, and Japan during its five-year tour, and is expected to raise more than $10 million for the Iraqi museum. The Nimrud gold was dug up from one of Iraq’s many non-Saddam-infested palaces in 1989 and has had a tough life ever since: in 1990, the gold and some accompanying ivory carvings were moved to a vault becuase of Gulf War I; a clearly-not-so-surgical strike during the 2003 invaion flooded that vault with sewage. The ivories are pretty much toast, but the gold just needed a good buffing. A small selection from the exhibit will be shown at the National Museum in Baghdad in July before opening in a yet-to-be-decided European venue in October.

The Art Newspaper: Iraq’s greatest treasure starts world tour in October