Metropolitan Museum of Art — Egyptian Art (Open Access) · other

Motto Clasp of Sithathoryunet

Source of record: Metropolitan Museum of Art — Egyptian Art (Open Access) — catalogued by the holding institution. View the original record →

Description

Clasp, Sithathoryunet. Middle Kingdom, Dynasty 12, reign of Senwosret II–Amenemhat III, ca. 1887–1813 B.C. Gold, carnelian, paste. H. 1.5 cm (9/16 in); W. 1.4 cm (9/16 in). From: Tomb of Sithathoryunet (BSA Tomb 8), Chamber E, box 4, Lahun, Fayum Entrance Area, Egypt. Excavation: BSAE excavations 1914. Credit: Purchase, Rogers Fund and Henry Walters Gift, 1916.

AI image analysis GPT-5.4-nano

Machine-generated from the object's image on Jul 2026. Not curatorial; treat deities, names, and signs below as the model's best reading, not authority.

Gold frame clasp decorated with a central oval carnelian-like red gem and a small red inset at the bottom.

The object is a small rectangular gold openwork frame, with a central vertical setting holding a large teardrop/oval red stone (carnelian or similar). Two small gold-and-red elements appear flanking/within the central setting, and there is an additional red fragment/inlay near the bottom edge of the frame. The overall workmanship suggests a decorative motto/clasp element, but no readable hieroglyphs, cartouches, or inscriptions are visible in this image. No Greek/Coptic/Arabic text is present. Condition appears worn with surface loss and discoloration typical of aged gilding.

decorative Middle Kingdom (as catalogued; exact dating unclear from image alone) good
Materials gold (frame)red stone (likely carnelian)red paste or red inlay (uncertain)

Connections

Found at Lahun
Materials Gold

Cross-references (4)

  • Wikidata-Q Q116247868 tier-1
  • Collection-QID Q160236 tier-2 (wikidata-mediated)
  • Inventory-Number 16.1.16 tier-2 (wikidata-mediated)
  • MET-Object 544414 tier-2 (wikidata-mediated)
About this record's data
  • From the source institution — accession, description, dimensions, and dating are as catalogued by Metropolitan Museum of Art — Egyptian Art (Open Access).
  • 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.