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Cylinder Seal of Pepy I

Egyptian, Classical, Ancient Near Eastern Art

MEDIUM Steatite
  • Place Made: Egypt
  • DATES ca. 2338-2298 B.C.E.
    DYNASTY Dynasty 6
    PERIOD Old Kingdom
    DIMENSIONS 2 13/16 x Diam. 3/4 in. (7.1 x 1.9 cm)  (show scale)
    ACCESSION NUMBER 44.123.32
    CREDIT LINE Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund
    PROVENANCE Archaeological provenance not yet documented; before 1944, acquired by Dikran Kelekian of Paris, France and New York, NY; 1944, purchased from Dikran Kelekian by the Brooklyn Museum.
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    CATALOGUE DESCRIPTION Long black steatite cylinder seal, very large perforation. Inscription in five vertical columns giving the Horus name and cartouche of King Mery-re (Pepy I) together with the titles of a Lector who is not named. Inscription reads: "The Lector-Priest, Chief over the secret things, the Lector-Priest, doing what his Lord commands, the Lector-Priest, doing what his Lord praises, King of Lower and Upper Egypt, Mery-re, living eternally, the Horus Mery-taui, Mery-re." Condition: One large and several smaller chips at top and bottom.
    MUSEUM LOCATION This item is not on view
    CAPTION Cylinder Seal of Pepy I, ca. 2338-2298 B.C.E. Steatite, 2 13/16 x Diam. 3/4 in. (7.1 x 1.9 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund, 44.123.32. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 44.123.32_view1_PS6.jpg)
    IMAGE overall, 44.123.32_view1_PS6.jpg. Brooklyn Museum photograph, 2011
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    RIGHTS STATEMENT Creative Commons-BY
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