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

Object Information
  • 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

More Artwork

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 complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.

Die - Roman Period - The Metropolitan Museum of Art