Fragment of Colored Hieroglyphs

To represent sounds and ideas, the Egyptian system of hieroglyphic writing employed signs in the form of complete or partial images of humans, other creatures, plants, and objects. The intricacy and beauty of some hieroglyphs qualify them as miniature works of art, just as some large-scale figural representations are actually monumental hieroglyphs. Many of this vitrine’s reliefs were once as brightly painted as this text.