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Cylinder Seal with Hieroglyphs
(Ancient Egypt and Nubia )
This cylinder seal is inscribed with early hieroglyphic signs that possibly spell the personal name Shenem, followed by a sign believed to be an epithet of the dead. The seal is pierced lengthwise so as to be worn as a personal ornament that acted as both a marker of status and a protective charm. This seal dates to the beginning of the Egyptian state during the First Dynasty or the early Second Dynasty (ca. 2960-2649 BCE). Administrative cylinder seals also existed during this early period, however based on the known provenance of many of these seal-types—non-royal tombs—this seal’s function was most likely to help maintain the deceased’s funerary cult rather than to act as an administrative tool.
Inscription
Provenance
Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object.
Joseph Abemayor, Cairo, [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; Henry Walters, Baltimore, 1930, by purchase; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.
Geographies
Egypt (Place of Origin)
Measurements
H: 1/2 x W: 7/16 in. (1.2 x 1.1 cm)
Credit Line
Acquired by Henry Walters, 1930
Location in Museum
Not on view
Accession Number
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
42.175