Document Sealing
Unknown Artist
ca. 1390–1352 B.C.
Medium
Mud
Dimensions
H. 1.9 cm (3/4 in.); w. 1.5 cm (9/16 in.); th. 1.1 cm (7/16 in.)
Classification
Sealing, cobra
Period
New Kingdom
Department
Egyptian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1911, 1912
Accession Number
12.180.696
Art Historical Context
Step into the bustling administrative world of ancient Egypt with *Document Sealing*, a tiny yet mighty artifact from the New Kingdom's Dynasty 18 (ca. 1390–1352 B.C.). Crafted from mud—a simple, abundant material—this unassuming object measures just 1.9 cm high, 1.5 cm wide, and 1.1 cm thick. Acquired through the Rogers Fund in 1911 and 1912, it now resides in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Egyptian Art collection. In the golden age of pharaonic power, such mud sealings were essential for securing papyrus documents, storage jars, or doors, preventing tampering in Egypt's vast bureaucracy. ...