Materials & Making
A Wooden Mallet Brings Egyptian Making into a Hand-Sized Frame
A wooden mallet can offer a different entry into Egyptian collections from a monumental statue. Its catalogue invites attention to a tool’s proportions and…
Ancient objects, open questions
Notes from the collection
Objects & Beliefs
A Small Cat Figurine Carries Details Beyond Its Silhouette
An Egyptian cat figure can be recognisable before its smaller details are visible. The Met’s record for one metal example draws attention to adornments that…
Reading the Past
Ruiu’s Razor Connects a Small Metal Object with Its Burial Arrangement
A razor in a museum case can appear as an isolated implement. The record for Ruiu’s razor preserves an arrangement of objects that gives it a more specific…
Materials & Making
A Wooden Egyptian Hoe Has Two Measurements Worth Keeping Apart
A tool’s outline can look simple while its catalogue records separate dimensions for the parts. An Egyptian hoe at The Met offers a useful example of…
Materials & Making
Djoser’s Wall Tiles Show Faience at an Architectural Scale
Explore a Met record of wall tiles from Djoser’s funerary apartments and distinguish the catalogued arrangement from an individual tile.
Objects & Beliefs
Fish and Lotuses Decorate a Bowl Smaller Than the Screen Suggests
Read a small Egyptian faience bowl through its recorded dimensions and decoration before making assumptions from an enlarged online photograph.
Materials & Making
Six-Centimetre Tweezers Bring an Egyptian Burial Record into Focus
Follow the Met’s record of a small pair of tweezers through its material description and documented find context without inventing a user.
Objects & Beliefs
A Faience Ring Carries a Divine Name in a Small Space
Explore a Walters Art Museum finger ring through its recorded material, date and named inscription while keeping interpretation tied to the catalogue.