Two Halves of a Knife Handle
Description
Object Label: These two halves of a knife handle inscribed with the names of Seti I reflect Asiatic designs introduced to Egypt by the Hyksos sometime before Dynasty XVIII (circa 1539–1295 B.C.). The shape is characteristic of the grips of sickle-shaped Hyksos blades, and the spiral motif is found or. countless Hyksos scarabs. The intricate craftsmanship and the use of gold, which is not a durable metal, suggest that the knife had a ceremonial, not a practical, function. In fact, the knife may have been given to Seti I at his coronation. Two wall reliefs at his temple at Abydos depict the gods Amun-Re and Horus presenting him with an identically shaped knife as a divine guarantee of unending sovereignty. The decoration of the ends of the handle with lotus and papyrus blossoms, the heraldic plants of southern and northern Egypt respectively, further indicates that the knife was connected with a kingship ritual. Caption: Two Halves of a Knife Handle, ca. 1294–1279 B.C.E.. Bronze, copper, gold, 2 1/16 x 4 13/16 in. (5.3 x 12.3 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund, 49.167a-b. (Photo: Brooklyn Museum)
AI image analysis GPT-4o-2024-08-06
Machine-generated from the object's image on May 2026. Not curatorial; treat deities, names, and signs below as the model's best reading, not authority.
A pair of ornate axe heads with decorative patterns.
The image depicts a pair of metal axe heads featuring intricate decorative patterns consisting of lines and circular motifs. The design is symmetrical with engravings covering the surface. The craftsmanship suggests attention to detail and stylistic elements typical of high-status objects.
Cross-references (2)
- BKM-Accession 49.167a-b tier-2
- BKM-Object 3542 tier-2
About this record's data
- From the source institution — accession, description, dimensions, and dating are as catalogued by Brooklyn Museum — Egyptian, Classical, Ancient Near Eastern Art.
- AI-inferred — the image-analysis panel (deities, names, signs) is machine-generated and may be wrong.
- Approximate location — most map points are plotted at the site centroid, not the exact findspot.
- Inferred links — cross-references marked with a match method other than explicit-source-field were matched by us, not stated by the source.