Artist's Sketch of a Sparrow
Unknown Artist
ca. 1479–1458 B.C.
Medium
Limestone, paint
Dimensions
H. 6.6 cm (2 5/8 in.); W. 10.6 cm (4 3/16 in.); Th. 2.4 cm (15/16 in.)
Classification
Ostracon, hieroglyph, sparrow
Period
New Kingdom
Department
Egyptian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1923
Accession Number
23.3.7
Tags
Art Historical Context
This delicate limestone sketch of a sparrow, dating to around 1479–1458 B.C. during Egypt's New Kingdom (Dynasty 18), offers a rare glimpse into the working process of an ancient artist. Created on a small, portable slab—measuring just 6.6 cm high and 10.6 cm wide—this piece likely served as a study for larger tomb paintings or decorative motifs, a common practice among Egyptian artisans honing their skills in naturalistic observation. Carved in low relief and enhanced with traces of paint, the sparrow is rendered with remarkable sensitivity, capturing the bird's alert posture and fine detail...