Scribe's Palette and Writing Utensils: Hank of Thread
Description
Scribe's thread. Late Period, Dynasty 26–30, 664–332 B.C. Plant fiber. L. (wound up): 6.3 cm (2 1/2 in.). From: Tomb MMA 804 (M04), Forecourt rubbish, Sheikh Abd el-Qurna, Upper Egypt, Thebes, Egypt. Excavation: MMA excavations, 1913–14. Credit: Rogers Fund, 1914.
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.
The image shows a bundle/hank of tan plant fiber wound into a loose coil, with a small label-like strip tied to it.
A pale tan fibrous material is gathered into a thick, elongated hank/coil. The fibers are clearly plant-like (thread/fiber) with visible strand texture and loose ends. A thin piece of string or fiber appears attached near one end, along with a small rectangular label or tag (likely modern conservation/collection labeling) tied with a cord. No carved or painted palette surface, pigments, or hieroglyphs are visible on the artifact itself in this image. The background is plain and the object is photographed in isolation, suggesting a textile/cord element rather than a stone palette with inlaid writing surfaces.
Cross-references (4)
- Wikidata-Q Q116272500 tier-1
- Collection-QID Q160236 tier-2 (wikidata-mediated)
- Inventory-Number 14.1.393e tier-2 (wikidata-mediated)
- MET-Object 550397 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.