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Collections: Egyptian, Classical, and Ancient Middle Eastern Art: Goddess Seshat

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Goddess Seshat

Seshat, whose name means "female scribe," was the goddess of writing and record keeping. The Egyptians believed she had responsibility for recording regnal years and maintaining the House of Life, an archive containing Egypt's sacred books. This fragment—found at the Pyramid Temple of Senwosret I—was copied from a relief carved at least three hundred years earlier for Pepy II, the last great ruler of the Old Kingdom.

Medium: Limestone
Place Excavated: Lisht, Egypt
Dates: ca. 1919-1875 B.C.E.
Dynasty: XII Dynasty
Period: Middle Kingdom
Dimensions: 20 11/16 x 23 1/4 in. (52.5 x 59 cm)
Collections: Egyptian, Classical, and Ancient Middle Eastern Art
Museum Location: This item is on view in Egypt Reborn: Art for Eternity, Old Kingdom to 18th Dynasty, Egyptian Galleries, 3rd Floor
Accession Number: 52.129
Credit Line: Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund
Image: Overall, 52.129_SL1.jpg. Brooklyn Museum photograph

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