Cartouche-shaped plaque with the names of Apries
Unknown Artist
589–570 B.C.
Medium
Faience
Dimensions
H. 3.8 × W. 2.8 × Th. 0.7 cm (1 1/2 × 1 1/8 × 1/4 in.)
Classification
Plaque, cartouche, Apries
Period
Late Period, Saite
Department
Egyptian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Egypt Exploration Fund, 1902
Accession Number
02.4.105b
Art Historical Context
This delicate cartouche-shaped plaque, around 589–570 B.C. during Egypt's Late Period (Dynasty 26, Saite), bears the royal names of Pharaoh Apries, who ruled from the Nile Delta city of Sais. The Saite era marked a cultural renaissance, reviving Old Kingdom artistic ideals amid Persian threats, with pharaohs like Apries commissioning works that emphasized divine kingship. Shaped like the protective oval enclosure (cartouche) used for royal names in hieroglyphs, this small artifact—measuring just 3.8 cm high—likely served as a seal, amulet, or architectural inlay, symbolizing the pharaoh's eter...