Headless Statuette of a Scribe
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Object Label
The Egyptians valued literacy even more than physical strength or military prowess. Individuals wishing to immortalize their wisdom and education frequently commissioned statues of themselves as scribes, professional men whose income derived from their great learning rather than physical labor. Images of scribes seated with papyrus rolls in their laps were placed in tombs as early as the Fourth Dynasty (circa 2625–2500 B.C.E.).
Caption
Headless Statuette of a Scribe, ca. 1938–1875 B.C.E.. Gneiss, 6 7/16 x 4 13/16 x 5 9/16 in. (16.4 x 12.3 x 14.2 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund, 73.87.1. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, CUR.73.87.1_erg456.jpg)
Title
Headless Statuette of a Scribe
Date
ca. 1938–1875 B.C.E.
Dynasty
Dynasty 12
Period
Middle Kingdom
Geography
Place made: Egypt
Medium
Gneiss
Classification
Dimensions
6 7/16 x 4 13/16 x 5 9/16 in. (16.4 x 12.3 x 14.2 cm)
Credit Line
Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund
Accession Number
73.87.1
Rights
Creative Commons-BY
You may download and use Brooklyn Museum images of this three-dimensional work in accordance with a Creative Commons license. Fair use, as understood under the United States Copyright Act, may also apply. Please include caption information from this page and credit the Brooklyn Museum. If you need a high resolution file, please fill out our online application form (charges apply). For further information about copyright, we recommend resources at the United States Library of Congress, Cornell University, Copyright and Cultural Institutions: Guidelines for U.S. Libraries, Archives, and Museums, and Copyright Watch. For more information about the Museum's rights project, including how rights types are assigned, please see our blog posts on copyright. If you have any information regarding this work and rights to it, please contact copyright@brooklynmuseum.org.
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