Ostracon with Pharaoh Spearing a Lion and a Royal Hymn on its Back

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.

A limestone ostracon bearing a blue-black ink drawing of a spear-wielding royal figure attacking a lion, with additional ink hieroglyphic signs on the reverse or remaining surface.

The object is a broken, irregular limestone fragment. On the main visible face, a human figure in Egyptian royal attire (tall headwear with a crest and a kilt) holds a long spear angled toward a lion on the ground. The lion has a visible head and forequarters and appears to be under attack. The figure’s posture and the presence of the spear align with a lion-hunting/heroic battle theme. Surrounding the scene and above/adjacent to the figures are multiple dark ink hieroglyphic signs (including tall, vertical signs and short marks). Some signs appear grouped or lined, but the full sequence is not fully legible in this image. No Greek, Coptic, or Arabic text is visible. No clear cartouche or royal name is legible from the provided image, and no deity determinatives can be confidently identified beyond the general royal-hymn context implied by the catalogue.