Ostrakon

Art Historical Context

Step into the everyday world of 7th-century Coptic with this modest yet revealing *Ostrakon*, a small pottery fragment inscribed with ink. Measuring just 4 13/16 x 4 15/16 inches, this artifact from the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Medieval Art collection the ingenuity of ancient scribes who repurposed broken ceramics as affordable writing surfaces. Acquired through the Rogers Fund in 2, it exemplifies Coptic culture—a vibrant Christian tradition in late antique Egypt blending Egyptian, Greek, and Byzantine influences. Ostraka like this one were ubiquitous in daily life, serving as scraps for...