Papyrus Fragments of a Letter from John and Pesenthius to Epiphanius
Unknown Artist
580–640
Medium
Papyrus with ink
Dimensions
Framed: 4 11/16 x 10 7/8 in. (11.9 x 27.7 cm) largest fragment: 3 15/16 x 9 7/16 in. (10 x 24 cm)
Classification
Papyrus
Culture
Coptic
Department
Medieval Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1914
Accession Number
14.1.535
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the world of early Coptic Egypt with these delicate *Papyrus Fragments of a Letter from John and Pesenthi to Epiphanius*, dating to 580–640 CE. Crafted in an era bridging late antiquity and the early medieval period, this artifact hails from Coptic Christian culture in Egypt, where papyrusmade from the Nile's reeds—remained a vital writing surface long after its classical heyday. Acquired through the Rogers Fund in 1914 and now housed in the Metropolitan Museum Art's Medieval Art department, these fragments (the largest measuring about 4 x 9.5 inches) offer a rare glimpse into everyd...