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Decorated Ostrakon

Egyptian, Classical, Ancient Near Eastern Art

On View: 19th Dynasty to Roman Period, Martha A. and Robert S. Rubin Gallery, 3rd Floor

The ancient Egyptians often made casual sketches on chips of limestone or pottery now called ostraka. The figure on one of these ostraka represents a horned animal, probably a goat, with a collar indicating that the creature was domesticated. The other piece shows a schematically drawn animal that cannot be identified.

MEDIUM Limestone, pigment
DATES ca. 1336–1295 B.C.E.
DYNASTY Dynasty 18
PERIOD New Kingdom
DIMENSIONS 3 13/16 x 6 7/8 in. (9.7 x 17.5 cm)  (show scale)
ACCESSION NUMBER 58.28.1
CREDIT LINE Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund
CATALOGUE DESCRIPTION Limestone ostracon. In red paint, walking animal with long tail, a lion (?). Crude work. Condition: Edges broken. Paint flaking from surface. Area directly in front of face broken.
CAPTION Decorated Ostrakon, ca. 1336–1295 B.C.E. Limestone, pigment, 3 13/16 x 6 7/8 in. (9.7 x 17.5 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund, 58.28.1. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, CUR.58.28.1_wwg8.jpg)
IMAGE installation, West Wing gallery 8 installation, CUR.58.28.1_wwg8.jpg. Brooklyn Museum photograph, 2006
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RIGHTS STATEMENT Creative Commons-BY
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 <em>Decorated Ostrakon</em>, ca. 1336–1295 B.C.E. Limestone, pigment, 3 13/16 x 6 7/8 in. (9.7 x 17.5 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund, 58.28.1. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, CUR.58.28.1_wwg8.jpg)