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Cylinder Seal with Titles and Personal Names
(Ancient Egypt and Nubia )
This early cylinder seal is inscribed with hieroglyphic signs that spell the personal names Nefer-Maat-Ked and Nefer-Sobek, as well as some enigmatic titles. Although the original context of this seal is unknown, several examples of sealings and seals that include the name of an official Nefer-Maat-Ked have been excavated in multiple sites across Egypt. Nefer-Maat-Ked seems to have been an official under several kings, including Khasekhemwy (ca. 2649 BCE), the last king of the Second Dynasty, and Third Dynasty king Djoser, the builder of the Step Pyramid at Saqqara (ca. 2667-2648 BCE). This cylinder seal acted as an administrative tool, connecting its owner with the central royal authority.
Provenance
Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object.
Henry Walters, Baltimore, 1924, [mode of acquisition unknown]; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.
Geographies
Egypt (Place of Origin)
Measurements
H: 3/4 × W: 1 1/4 in. (1.9 × 3.2 cm)
Credit Line
Acquired by Henry Walters, 1924
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.
42.177