Die

Roman Period

30 B.C.–A.D. 364

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 130

Cubic dice have been in use in the Near East since the third millennium B.C., with different systems used at different times for distributing the points. In Egypt, examples dating to the New Kingdom are reported as isolated finds at el-Amarna, Lisht and Deir el-Bahri. The numbering of the opposite sides (1-6, 2-5, 3-4), each adding up to seven, comes into more general use only later, as reflected by this die. During the Greco-Roman period, cubic dice became more common and gradually replaced throwing sticks and knuckle bones for use with board games.

Artwork Details

Overview

Provenance

Title: Die
Period: Roman Period
Date: 30 B.C.–A.D. 364
Geography: From Egypt
Medium: Serpentinite?
Dimensions: H. 1.8 (11/16 in.); L. 1.7 (11/16 in.); W. 1.6 cm (5/8 in.)
Credit Line: Gift of Helen Miller Gould, 1910
Object Number: 10.130.1155
Curatorial Department: Egyptian Art

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