Inlay depicting Thoth as the ibis with a Maat feather
Description
Late Period, Dynasty 30, probably reign of Nectanebo II, 360–343 BCE. Faience. H. 15.5 × W. 1 × L. 15.6 cm (6 1/8 × 3/8 × 6 1/8 in.). Said to be from: Hermopolis (Ashmunein; Khemenu), Middle Egypt. Subject: Birds. Credit: Purchase, Edward S. Harkness Gift, 1926.
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.
Small inlay plaque depicting a bird with an ibis-like long beak perched on a bar or base, associated with an adjacent upright feather shape.
The image shows a molded/inscribed decorative inlay featuring an ibis-like bird in profile (head turned left, long curved beak, legs bracketing a central upright element). Behind and to the left of the bird is a vertical, feather- or staff-like form with stepped/segmented detailing, suggesting an emblem element rather than full hieroglyph text. The bird stands on a horizontal band/base with a protruding element at the right. The palette appears bluish-green and yellow/cream, consistent with faience inlay coloration; fine surface wear and slight discoloration are visible. No clearly readable hieroglyphic, Greek, Coptic, or Arabic inscriptions are visible, and no cartouche is discernible.
Cross-references (4)
- Wikidata-Q Q116251821 tier-1
- Collection-QID Q160236 tier-2 (wikidata-mediated)
- Inventory-Number 26.7.992 tier-2 (wikidata-mediated)
- MET-Object 544093 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.