Sealing
Unknown Artist
ca. 2030–1640 B.C.
Medium
Clay (unfired)
Classification
Sealing
Period
Middle Kingdom
Department
Egyptian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund and Edward S. Harkness Gift, 1914
Accession Number
14.3.290
Art Historical Context
This delicate clay sealing, dating to Egypt's Middle Kingdom (ca 2030–1640 B.C.) during Dynasties 12–13, offers a glimpse into the administrative heartbeat of ancient Egypt. Created by an unknown artist, is an impression made from a cylinder seal or scarab pressed into soft, unfired clay—likely to secure documents, storage jars, or doors against tampering. Such everyday artifacts reveal the sophisticated bureaucracy of a reunified Egypt, a period of stability and cultural flourishing after centuries of fragmentation. The unfired clay medium, while fragile, preserved intricate details like hie...