Image · Public domain via Wikimedia Commons
Ancient · Sculpture
The Seated Scribe
Unknown Egyptian sculptor · c. 2620–2500 BC
ArtistUnknown Egyptian sculptor
Datec. 2620–2500 BC
TypeSculpture
MediumPainted limestone, rock crystal, copper-arsenic alloy
Dimensions53.7 cm × 44 cm × 35 cm (21.1 in × 17.3 in × 13.8 in)
LocationSully Wing
— The Work
About this masterpiece
This vividly painted limestone sculpture shows an unidentified scribe seated cross-legged with a papyrus scroll unrolled across his lap, ready to take dictation. His startlingly lifelike eyes are inlaid with rock crystal, magnesite, and copper, giving him a piercing gaze that has unsettled and fascinated viewers for nearly five millennia.
— Context
Historical significance
Discovered by Auguste Mariette at Saqqara in 1850 and acquired by the Louvre in 1854, the Seated Scribe is regarded as one of the supreme masterpieces of Old Kingdom Egyptian art. It exemplifies the prestige of literacy in pharaonic society, where scribes occupied an elite administrative class.
— You may also like
View all →
