Scribe's Exercise Board with Hieratic Text
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Object Label
Hieratic, the cursive form of hieroglyphs, was used most commonly for writing literature, business and personal letters, and record keeping. The text is an extract from “The Instructions of King Amunemhat,” composed nearly four hundred years earlier. The king urges his son: “Be on your guard against all who are subordinate to you . . . trust no brother, know no friend, make no intimates.” This “teaching” belonged to a common literary genre of classic texts often used to practice writing.
Caption
Scribe's Exercise Board with Hieratic Text, ca. 1514–1493 B.C.E.. Wood, ink, 6 3/16 x 10 15/16 x 3/16 in. (15.7 x 27.8 x 0.4 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Evangeline Wilbour Blashfield, Theodora Wilbour, and Victor Wilbour honoring the wishes of their mother, Charlotte Beebe Wilbour, as a memorial to their father, Charles Edwin Wilbour, 16.119.
Title
Scribe's Exercise Board with Hieratic Text
Date
ca. 1514–1493 B.C.E.
Dynasty
Dynasty 18
Period
New Kingdom
Geography
Place made: Egypt
Medium
Wood, ink
Classification
Dimensions
6 3/16 x 10 15/16 x 3/16 in. (15.7 x 27.8 x 0.4 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Evangeline Wilbour Blashfield, Theodora Wilbour, and Victor Wilbour honoring the wishes of their mother, Charlotte Beebe Wilbour, as a memorial to their father, Charles Edwin Wilbour
Accession Number
16.119
Frequent Art Questions
What kind of ink was used for these writings?
Great question. Black ink was often made of soot mixed with water and reed brushes were used to write with.
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