Egyptian Inlays and Shrine Elements from The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Dublin Core
Title
Egyptian Inlays and Shrine Elements from The Metropolitan Museum of Art
http://www.metmuseum.org/collection/the-collection-online/search/544863
Subject
Ancient Egyptian Glass and Metal (Cupreous/Copper Alloy) Inlays
Description
As described by the Metropolitan Museum of Art:
"This fanciful arrangement indicates the range of a group of fine glass inlays and shrine elements that were purchased together. Included are monochromatic figural elements (human or divine), monochromatic and mosaic hieroglyphic and decorative elements, and red column drums, along with other types of material not pictured: bits of gilded plaster, long bronze rods for threading the drums together, large bronze sockets, and bronze bolts in the form of the "door bolt" and "union" hieroglyphs. While many elements are clearly related, their variable size, style, and degree of finish suggest that the group actually represents an accumulation of material. The face inlays are of the type termed Sebennytic-Ptolemaic, and minute mosaic designs indicate a similar date.
Wooden shrines densely inlaid with figural, hieroglyphic, and decorative glass elements are known from the late sixth century B.C. onward, while glass hieroglyphs appear on fourth-century wooden coffins and glass figures adorn Ptolemaic and later cartonnage and plaster mummy covers. Inlay elements might be placed in separate cells or be contiguously adhered on a common background. Drums of glass, faience, and Egyptian blue from small shrine columns have been found at numerous sites in Egypt of the Ptolemaic Period or later and at Delos in Greece; apparently, red and blue sections would ideally have alternated with gilded wood sections."
"This fanciful arrangement indicates the range of a group of fine glass inlays and shrine elements that were purchased together. Included are monochromatic figural elements (human or divine), monochromatic and mosaic hieroglyphic and decorative elements, and red column drums, along with other types of material not pictured: bits of gilded plaster, long bronze rods for threading the drums together, large bronze sockets, and bronze bolts in the form of the "door bolt" and "union" hieroglyphs. While many elements are clearly related, their variable size, style, and degree of finish suggest that the group actually represents an accumulation of material. The face inlays are of the type termed Sebennytic-Ptolemaic, and minute mosaic designs indicate a similar date.
Wooden shrines densely inlaid with figural, hieroglyphic, and decorative glass elements are known from the late sixth century B.C. onward, while glass hieroglyphs appear on fourth-century wooden coffins and glass figures adorn Ptolemaic and later cartonnage and plaster mummy covers. Inlay elements might be placed in separate cells or be contiguously adhered on a common background. Drums of glass, faience, and Egyptian blue from small shrine columns have been found at numerous sites in Egypt of the Ptolemaic Period or later and at Delos in Greece; apparently, red and blue sections would ideally have alternated with gilded wood sections."
Creator
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Source
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Publisher
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Date
Ancient Egypt
Period: Late Period - Ptolemaic Period
Date: 380-30 BC
Period: Late Period - Ptolemaic Period
Date: 380-30 BC
Contributor
Ancient Egypt, Late Period-Ptolemaic Period
Rights
The Metropolitan Museum of Art. This set of objects is part of The Met's Open Access for Scholarly Content initiative. Please see their website for more information on further usage of this image and content.
Relation
[no text]
Format
Image: jpg
Object: Glass and Cupreous Alloy Inlay
Medium: Glass and Cupreous Alloy
Dimensions: Various measurements for group; H (each drum) 4/1 cm (1 5/8 in)
Accession number: 21.2.2
Object: Glass and Cupreous Alloy Inlay
Medium: Glass and Cupreous Alloy
Dimensions: Various measurements for group; H (each drum) 4/1 cm (1 5/8 in)
Accession number: 21.2.2
Language
English
Type
Physical Object
Identifier
[no text]
Coverage
Geography: Egypt
Period: Late Period - Ptolemaic Period
Period: Late Period - Ptolemaic Period
Files
Collection
Citation
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, “Egyptian Inlays and Shrine Elements from The Metropolitan Museum of Art,” Pondering Public History: An Ancient Egypt Collection, accessed April 19, 2024, https://ponderingpublichistory.omeka.net/items/show/3.