Basket

Late Period

664–332 BCE

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 130

Made of strips of papyrus laid side by side and bound together with twisted strips of the same material, this was found with a cache of mummification material. The rim of the basket is made of two narrow strips of papyrus bark twisted together, to which the tops of the binding strips are tied. At the edges, the horizontal strips on each side are bent inwards and placed against one another, and the last transverse binding strip on each wall passed around the turned-in end of the horizontal strip of the other wall, before being carried up and over the next strip of its own wall -- thus sewing the walls of the basket together.

The basket is equipped with a loop handle of 2-ply grass rope, tied to the rim at a distance of 14cm from one side and 9cm from the other. The mouth of the basket was originally sealed up with mud, pieces of which were still stuck to the rim when it was excavated.

Artwork Details

Object Information

Overview

Provenance

Title: Basket
Period: Late Period
Dynasty: Dynasty 26–30
Date: 664–332 BCE
Geography: From Egypt, Upper Egypt, Thebes, Asasif, East of Pabasa, Embalmers' Cache B, MMA excavations, 1918–19
Medium: Papyrus pith
Dimensions: H. 45 cm (17 11/16 in.); W. 57 cm (22 7/16 in.)
Credit Line: Rogers Fund, 1931
Object Number: 31.3.140
Curatorial Department: Egyptian Art

More Artwork

In the same gallery

In the same medium

From the same time and place

Embalmer's Needle, Wood (tamarisk?) — Embalmer's Needle
664–332 BCE

Scarab Inscribed with the Name Menkheperra (Thutmose III), Steatite — Scarab Inscribed with the Name Menkheperra (Thutmose III)
ca. 1300–1080 BCE

Arched Harp (shoulder harp), Wood — Arched Harp (shoulder harp)
ca. 1386–1300 BCE

Shabti of Mentuemhat, Serpentinite — Shabti of Mentuemhat
690–645 BCE

Basket, Myer Myers American, Silver, American — Basket
Myer Myers
1770–76

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.

Send feedback

Content Notice

The Metropolitan Museum of Art presents over 5,000 years of art from around the world, and our online collection reflects ongoing work conducted over the course of our more than 150-year history. You may encounter objects or images that may be inappropriate for some viewers or information that may be outdated.