Description

Ca. 5th to 6th century AD. Ancient text inscription done on a pottery shard in black ink. At first we thought this was Coptic, as there are a few signs that 'could' be loose Coptic letters (like A and Y), but they might just as well be signs in whatever other language this is. We then asked a colleague with expertise in Coptic, and she suggested it might perhaps be Syriac. Demotic also came up as a possible candidate, but again she was not sure. If it is either of these, the ostracon could well be much older than is stated now. We guarantee it's old and authentic, but we just can't guarantee the specific culture, so bid accordingly. 4"H.

Provenance: Provenance: Acquired by the present owner's parents in Egypt during the 1930s-1940s.

This lot will be sold not subject to a reserve. The starting price is the price at which the item can sell.

Condition

Condition as shown.