Sealing, from letter 22.3.518 from Heqanakht to Rahotep

Middle Kingdom

ca. 1961–1917 B.C.

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 107

Discovered attached to a letter from Heqanakht to the Overseer of the Delta, Herunefer (see 22.3.518), this lump of mud is an example of a sealing. When a document was ready, it was folded or rolled and wrapped with a string. A small lump of mud was placed over the ends of the string and impressed with the incised underside of a seal, such as a scarab. This served to identify the owner or writer of the document.

Artwork Details

Overview

Provenance

References

Title: Sealing, from letter 22.3.518 from Heqanakht to Rahotep
Period: Middle Kingdom
Dynasty: Dynasty 12
Reign: reign of Senwosret I
Date: ca. 1961–1917 B.C.
Geography: From Egypt, Upper Egypt, Thebes, Deir el-Bahri, Tomb of Hesem (TT 516), MMA excavations, 1922–23
Medium: Mud, fiber
Dimensions: L. 2 × W. 1.3 cm (13/16 × 1/2 in.)
Credit Line: Rogers Fund, 1925
Object Number: 25.3.269
Curatorial Department: Egyptian Art

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