Egypt, Late New Kingdom, 20th Dynasty, ca. 1185 to 1070 BCE. A well-executed carved limestone bust, probably depicting a scribe, wearing a tiered wig with nice remains of black pigment. Egyptian scribes trained four or five years and made up an entire level of the Egyptian bureaucracy, busy churning out written records - personal letters, wills, proclamations, tax records, diplomatic communications, and religious documents. Not everyone in ancient Egypt could read and write; only scribes were permitted to attain this level of education. This piece is an homage to an ancient profession that many of us who enjoy writing can identify with! Custom stand. Size: 2.375" W x 2.875" H (6 cm x 7.3 cm)

Published in J. Eisenberg, Art of the Ancient World, volume XIX (2008), no. 179.

Provenance: private American collection; acquired at Gorny & Mosch, Munich, June 2007, lot 530

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Expected surface wear with abraded areas, scuffs, and pigment loss as shown, though ample black pigment remains.