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

Cosmetic Box from the tomb of Sennedjem

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

Description

Box, cosmetic. New Kingdom, Ramesside, Dynasty 19, reign of Ramesses II, ca. 1279–1213 B.C. Wood, gesso, paint. H. 15 cm (5 7/8 in.); W. 31.5 cm (12 3/8 in.); D. 31.5 cm (12 3/8 in.). From: Tomb of Sennedjem (TT 1), Deir el-Medina, Upper Egypt, Thebes, Egypt. Excavation: Egyptian Antiquities Service/Maspero excavations, 1885–86. Credit: Funds from various donors, 1886.

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 rectangular, low wooden cosmetic box with a black-painted exterior and decorative painted borders and bands on all visible faces, including a prominent central rectangular panel on the front.

The object is a small rectangular chest/cosmetic box with flat top and short legs. The visible surfaces are covered in black paint or dark ground, over which multicolored painted bands (white/tan, red, and blue/greenish accents) form geometric framing around the edges and a large rectangular panel on the front face. Raised or attached small metal-like studs/nails are visible along corners/edges. The central front register appears to contain decorative elements in horizontal bands rather than clear, legible figurative scenes. No clearly identifiable hieroglyphic text is legible in the provided image; any markings are too small or stylized to confidently transcribe. No cartouches, royal names, deities, or complete inscriptions can be confirmed.

decorative New Kingdom (Ramesside period), consistent with catalogue; exact reign/date unclear from image alone good
Materials wood (form/structure)gesso/ground (painted surface preparation inferred)paint (multicolored decoration and dark ground)

Connections

Found at Deir el-Medina

Cross-references (4)

  • Wikidata-Q Q116252828 tier-1
  • Collection-QID Q160236 tier-2 (wikidata-mediated)
  • Inventory-Number 86.1.7 tier-2 (wikidata-mediated)
  • MET-Object 551116 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.