Mallet
Unknown Artist
ca. 1200–30 B.C.
Medium
Wood
Dimensions
L. 27.6 × Dia. 16.5 cm (10 7/8 × 6 1/2 in.); Dia. 4.3 cm (Handle) (1 11/16 in.)
Classification
Mallet
Period
New Kingdom–Ptolemaic
Department
Egyptian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund and Edward S. Harkness Gift, 1913
Accession Number
13.180.30
Art Historical Context
This wooden mallet, dating to around 1200–1030 B.C., hails from Egypt's New Kingdom period, specifically Dynasty 20 or later—a time of grand pharaonic achievements under rulers like Ramesses III, amid the twilight of the empire's power. Measuring about 27.6 cm long with a head diameter of 16.5 cm and a slender 4.3 cm handle, it exemplifies the practical craftsmanship of ancient Egyptian artisans. Wood, a precious material often imported from regions like Lebanon due to Egypt's scarcity of native hardwoods, was meticulously shaped here into a sturdy tool for pounding, shaping stone, or woodwork...