Lot 2C
Egypt, Third Intermediate Period to Late Dynastic Period, ca. 1070 to 332 BCE. A square limestone fragment with an incised motif depicting a seated scribe holding a mallet and writing or drawing on a thin stone tablet. Size: 0.7" L x 2.55" W x 2.65" H (1.8 cm x 6.5 cm x 6.7 cm)
The piece has wonderful details, including a lifelike pose for the worker and the clear shape of his mallet and chisel. He sits on a low, three-legged stool, with his tablet propped on a stepped pedestal; his facial features include the classic Egyptian eye style, but also a surprisingly realistic nose and mouth. He has a round, bowl-like coiffure and wears only a loincloth - presumably he works up a sweat when doing his work. Egyptian scribes and artists trained four or five years and made up an entire level of the Egyptian bureaucracy, busy churning out written records - personal letters, wills, proclamations, tax records, diplomatic communications, and religious documents. This piece is a record of a long-ago profession that many of us who like to write can probably identify with!
Provenance: Ex-Hagar Collection
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#120762
- Condition: Repaired from three pieces. Artwork is in excellent condition.
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