A 4,500‑year‑old painted limestone scribe statue with crystal eyes—clear rock‑crystal cones, magnesite iris, and copper‑arsenic inlay—was found at the Saqqara Necropolis and now resides in the Louvre, reflecting ancient Egyptian beliefs about enabling the deceased to 'see' and 'hear' in the afterlife.
Seated Scribe – Egyptian Crystal Eyes
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Key facts
- Limestone statue of a scribe with crystal eyes carved ~4,500 years ago.
- Eyes contain a clear rock‑crystal cone, magnesite iris, and copper eyeliner clamps.
- Designed to give the statue the ability to 'see' and 'hear' in the afterlife.
- Discovered in 1850 at the Sakaran Necropolis, Memphis, and now displayed in the Louvre.
Sources
The Seated Scribe - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
The sculpture of the Seated Scribe or Squatting Scribe is a famous work of ancient Egyptian art. It represents a figure of a seated scribe at work.
The Seated Scribe - Smarthistorysmarthistory.org
4th Dynasty, Old Kingdom, painted limestone with rock crystal, magnesite, and copper/arsenic inlay for the eyes and wood for the nipples, found in Saqqara ...
Seated Scribe | Art History I - Lumen Learningcourses.lumenlearning.com
2620–2500 BCE, c. fourth Dynasty, Old Kingdom, painted limestone with rock crystal, magnesite, and copper/arsenic inlay for the eyes and wood for the nipples, ...
Seated Scribe (video) | Ancient Egypt - Khan Academykhanacademy.org
The Seated Scribe is a lifelike ancient Egyptian sculpture found in Saqqara. It's made of painted limestone, with wooden dowels for nipples and realistic eyes ...
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