Description:

Egypt, Late to Ptolemaic period, ca. 400 to 200 BCE. A fragment of papyrus with orderly rows of writing in the Demotic script. This script was used specifically for writing documents, like literary and religious texts, until it was replaced by Greek in the late 3rd century BCE. Demotic represents a development from hieroglyphs, and later evolved into the Coptic script; it is one of the three scripts on the Rosetta Stone. Comes in custom frame. Approximate size of fragment: 5" W x 5.25" H (12.7 cm x 13.3 cm); size of frame: 10.1" W x 8" H (25.7 cm x 20.3 cm)

For many centuries, papyrus was the most important writing material in the Classical and Mediterranean world, replacing clay tablets. The reeds used to make it grow mainly in Egypt, and the Greco-Roman world had to import them. They were manufactured in long rolls that could measure 7-15 inches in height and be up to 100 feet long. In these examples, you can see the crisscrossing horizontal and vertical fibers that make up the papyri.

Provenance: private Ritterbush collection

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#119011

  • Condition: Piece is fragmentary as shown. Some of the text can be read.

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June 28, 2017 7:00 AM MDT
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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