Skip to Content
Closed now, next open tomorrow. Closed now, next open tomorrow.

  • Mon 11–5
  • Tue–Wed Closed
  • Thu 11–8
  • Fri–Sun 11–5
  • Members: the first hour of every day, 10–11 a.m., is reserved for member–only viewing.

Ostracon with a Drawing of a King

A fragment of stone shows a figure drawn in black. He stands with his body facing the viewer, his head turned to the side, in elaborate attire—a headdress, necklace, arm bands, and a garment on his lower half, He holds a staff topped with a ram's head.
CC0 Public Domain Designation

Image actions

  • A fragment of stone shows a figure drawn in black. He stands with his body facing the viewer, his head turned to the side, in elaborate attire—a headdress, necklace, arm bands, and a garment on his lower half, He holds a staff topped with a ram's head.

Date:

New Kingdom, Dynasty 19–20, about 1295–1069 BCE

Artist:

Egyptian

About this artwork

Egyptian artists often made sketches on flakes of limestone, called ostraca. This example shows how the preliminary outline was done in red pigment, then corrected, and finished in black. Often these sketches were the work of two craftsmen, a draftsman and a master artist. This ostracon shows a king wearing a crown with streamers and a pleated kilt. He leans on a standard topped with the ram-headed emblem of the god Amun.

Status

On View, Gallery 50

Department

Arts of Africa

Culture

Ancient Egyptian

Title

Ostracon with a Drawing of a King

Place

Egypt (Object made in)

Date

1295 BCE–1069 BCE

Medium

Limestone and pigment

Dimensions

24.1 × 15.2 × 3.2 cm (9 1/2 × 6 × 1 1/4 in.)

Credit Line

Museum Purchase Fund

Reference Number

1920.255

IIIF Manifest  The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world.

Learn more.

https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/121738/manifest.json

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

Share

Explore Further

Sign up for our enewsletter to receive updates.
Learn more

Image actions

Share

Suggested Terms