Signet Ring Bearing Cartouche of Tutankhamun
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Object Label
Rings
The earliest Egyptian rings were purely decorative, but later rings came to carry significance.
By the Eighteenth Dynasty of the New Kingdom, they were frequently inscribed with the name of a god, a king, or the owner. The most popular type was made of faience and bore the name of the reigning monarch. Archaeologists have discovered thousands of these simple, mold-made rings; they were probably distributed as mementos at religious or state celebrations. Other rings feature protective symbols, including the wedjat-eye. Wealthy members of Eighteenth Dynasty society often wore rings made of inlaid glass or semiprecious stones.
Caption
Signet Ring Bearing Cartouche of Tutankhamun, ca. 1329–1322 B.C.E.. Faience, 13/16 × 1/2 × 3/4 in. (2 × 1.2 × 1.9 cm) mount: 7/8 × 1/2 × 1 1/2 in. (2.2 × 1.3 × 3.8 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund, 37.889E. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, CUR.37.889E_erg456.jpg)
Gallery
Not on view
Gallery
Not on view
Title
Signet Ring Bearing Cartouche of Tutankhamun
Date
ca. 1329–1322 B.C.E.
Dynasty
Dynasty 18
Period
New Kingdom
Geography
Reportedly from: Thebes, Egypt
Medium
Faience
Classification
Dimensions
13/16 × 1/2 × 3/4 in. (2 × 1.2 × 1.9 cm) mount: 7/8 × 1/2 × 1 1/2 in. (2.2 × 1.3 × 3.8 cm)
Credit Line
Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund
Accession Number
37.889E
Rights
Creative Commons-BY
You may download and use Brooklyn Museum images of this three-dimensional work in accordance with a Creative Commons license. Fair use, as understood under the United States Copyright Act, may also apply. Please include caption information from this page and credit the Brooklyn Museum. If you need a high resolution file, please fill out our online application form (charges apply). For further information about copyright, we recommend resources at the United States Library of Congress, Cornell University, Copyright and Cultural Institutions: Guidelines for U.S. Libraries, Archives, and Museums, and Copyright Watch. For more information about the Museum's rights project, including how rights types are assigned, please see our blog posts on copyright. If you have any information regarding this work and rights to it, please contact copyright@brooklynmuseum.org.
Frequent Art Questions
Tell me more.
Such a beautiful ring! As you may have read, the inscription is the name of the famous king Tutankhamun.A ring like this one could have belonged to just about anyone, such mementos were a popular way to honor the reigning king. Accordingly, they help archaeologists to date the soil layers they might be found in to the reign of a particular king.Actually, I couldn't find it's description. Thank you!
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