Shell Inscribed with the Cartouche of Senwosret I
Unknown Artist
ca. 1981–1550 B.C.
Medium
Oyster Shell
Dimensions
L. 10.7 × W. 10.5 cm (4 3/16 × 4 1/8 in.)
Classification
Shell, Senwosret I
Period
Middle Kingdom
Department
Egyptian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1961
Accession Number
61.104
Tags
Art Historical Context
This delicate oyster shell, inscribed with the cartouche of Senwosret I, offers a glimpse into the Middle Kingdom of ancient Egypt (ca. 1981–1550 B.C.), a golden age of stability and cultural revival following centuries of fragmentation. Senwosret I, a pharaoh of Dynasty 12, ruled around 1971–1926 B.C. and co-reigned with his father, Amenemhat I, helping to reunify the nation. The cartouche—an oval royal name enclosure symbolizing eternity—was a sacred emblem reserved for kings, often appearing on monuments, seals, and amulets to invoke divine protection and legitimacy. Crafted from a repurpo...