Marble
This white marble may have been used as a game piece for mehen, an ancient Egyptian game that was played from prehistoric times until the end of the Old Kingdom. Each player would have marbles made of a different colored stones, or they might have had playing pieces of different shapes, The Museum has two tear-drop pieces and one shaped like an American football that may have been used as game pieces.
Artwork Details
- Title: Marble
- Period: Predynastic Period–Old Kingdom
- Date: ca. 3850–2300 B.C.
- Geography: From Egypt
- Medium: Travertine (Egyptian alabaster)
- Dimensions: Diam. 1.5 cm (9/16 in.)
- Credit Line: Gift of Helen Miller Gould, 1910
- Object Number: 10.130.1196a
- 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.