Plaque painted with names of Ramesses IV on one side and as a scribal palette on the other
Whether all ancient Egyptian kings were literate or not, only rarely did they show themselves writing. The oblong plaque is inscribed on one side with Ramesses IV’s cartouches, and on the other, it is decorated to resemble a scribal palette, with areas of red and black ink and a slot to which the reed pens were placed (see, for example, 16.10.298).
Mostly, kings emphasized the monumental texts they had inscribed on stelae and temple walls. A few kings, however—especially of the New Kingdom—highlighted papyri and ink. Scenes of royal literacy also appear in this period on temple walls, on which the king writes alongside Thoth, the divine scribe, especially when inscribing his own name on the leaves of a sacred tree (the Ished tree). Through its text and decoration, this plaque might be evoking these various notions of writing,
Mostly, kings emphasized the monumental texts they had inscribed on stelae and temple walls. A few kings, however—especially of the New Kingdom—highlighted papyri and ink. Scenes of royal literacy also appear in this period on temple walls, on which the king writes alongside Thoth, the divine scribe, especially when inscribing his own name on the leaves of a sacred tree (the Ished tree). Through its text and decoration, this plaque might be evoking these various notions of writing,
Artwork Details
- Title: Plaque painted with names of Ramesses IV on one side and as a scribal palette on the other
- Period: New Kingdom, Ramesside
- Dynasty: Dynasty 20
- Reign: reign of Ramesses IV
- Date: ca. 1153–1147 B.C.
- Geography: From Egypt
- Medium: Travertine (Egyptian alabaster)
- Dimensions: H. 8.7 cm (3 7/16 in)
- Credit Line: Rogers Fund, 1908
- Object Number: 08.202.30
- Curatorial Department: Egyptian Art
More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
ca. 1390–1352 B.C.
ca. 1390–1352 B.C.
ca. 1990–1900 B.C.
ca. 1390–1352 B.C.
ca. 1353–1336 B.C.
Research Resources
The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.
To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.
Feedback
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 contact us using the form below. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.