Mortar
Ancient Egyptian
Ptolemaic–Roman Period (332 BCE–395 CE)
Medium
Slate
Dimensions
1 × 16.2 × 16.2 cm (3/8 × 6 3/8 × 6 3/8 in.)
Classification
mortar (grinding tool)
Department
Arts of Africa
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
136338
About the Artist
Ancient Egyptian
Ancient Egyptian artists, a collective of highly skilled artisans spanning over three millennia from the Predynastic period (c. 6000–3150 BC) to the Roman era (30 BC–4th century AD), produced some of humanity's most enduring masterpieces. These anonymous craftsmen, often organized in state-sponsored workshops, lived in dedicated communities like Deir el-Medina near Luxor during the New Kingdom (c....