Gratefully built with ACNLPatternTool
Old Kingdom
Not on view
This pottery sherd comes from a mold in which the ancient Egyptians baked flat loaves of bread. It was later broken, and used as "note paper," probably during construction of Perneb's tomb. Roughly incised on its surface are a series of numbers (strokes for 1 and an upside-down V to indicate 10), most likely some sort of account.
Use your arrow keys to navigate the tabs below, and your tab key to choose an item
Title: Ostracon with incised numbers
Period: Old Kingdom
Dynasty: Dynasty 5
Reign: reign of Isesi–Unis
Date: ca. 2381–2323 B.C.
Geography: From Egypt, Memphite Region, Saqqara, Tomb of Perneb, MMA excavations, 1913–14
Medium: Pottery
Dimensions: H. 15.5 × W. 27.5 cm (6 1/8 in., 27.5 cm)
Credit Line: Gift of Edward S. Harkness, 1913
Object Number: 13.183.5
The Met's Libraries and Research Centers provide unparalleled resources for research and welcome an international community of students and scholars.
The Met Collection API is where all makers, creators, researchers, and dreamers can connect to the most up-to-date data and public domain images for The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.
We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.
