Brush
Unknown Artist
664 B.C. or later
Medium
Grass, palm leaf
Dimensions
L. 21.3 × W. 17 cm (8 3/8 × 6 11/16 in.)
Classification
Plants, brush, tool
Period
Late Period or later
Department
Egyptian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1931
Accession Number
31.3.132
Art Historical Context
This unassuming yet remarkable "Brush" from ancient, dating to 664 B.C. or during the Late Period, offers a glimpse into the everyday tools of scribes and artists. Crafted from humble grass and palm leaf—natural materials abundant in the Nile Valley—it measures a compact 21.3 × 17 cm, perfectly suited for precise work on papyrus or other surfaces. Acquired through the Rogers Fund in 1, it now resides in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Egyptian Art collection. In the Late Period (c. 664–332 B.C.), Egypt saw political shifts under native pharaohs and foreign rulers, yet cultural traditions lik...