Ostrakon
Unknown Artist
7th century
Medium
Pottery fragment with ink inscription
Dimensions
4 1/4 x 6 11/16 in. (10.8 x 17 cm)
Classification
Ceramics
Culture
Coptic
Department
Medieval Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1912
Accession Number
12.180.196
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the world of 7th-century Coptic with this intriguing *Ostrakon*, a pottery fragment measuring just 4¼ x 6⅝ inches (10.8 x 17 cm). Created by an unknown artist, it features an ink inscription on broken ceramics, a common medium in ancient and medieval Egypt where discarded potsherds served as affordable "scratch pads" for writing. Acquired through the Rogers Fund in 1912, this piece now resides in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Medieval Art department, classified under Ceramics and tagged as a Coptic document. Ostraca like this one offer a rare glimpse into everyday life during the...