- Description
-
Egyptian terracotta circular stamp, sometimes called ‘bread-stamp’. Terracotta disc with a incised scene in negative, surrounded by a decorative band. The back is plain, with a sturdy flat, slightly mushrooming grip on the centre back. Central scene has a rabbit and a bunch of grapes, probably a reference to the contents of the vessel sealed by what this object stamped. This is surrounded by petals. Probably pressed over a modelled form, but perhaps cut by hand. Red-brown Nile silt. Traces of white plaster in grooves. Complete.
- Production date
- (early)3rdC BC - (early)1stC BC
- Dimensions
-
Length: 5 centimetres
- Curator's comments
-
Object owned and held by the Greco-Roman Museum, Alexandria. This record is included in the British Museum database as part of the Museum’s Naukratis Project, a research collaboration that aims to virtually re-unite finds from the ancient port city of Naukratis, now distributed over 80 museums worldwide.
-
Amphora stopper stamp. Such objects are commonly described as cake or bread stamps (Petrie 1886; Bailey 2008). However, such an interpretation is called into question by the presence of plaster in the grooves of many examples found at Naukratis, as if used to stamp the seals of amphora stoppers. Others were used to produce decorated terracotta discs, likely used as amphora stoppers (Bailey 2008, 3612, 3611, 3609,3608, GR 1886, 0401.1368; 1886,0401.1373; 1886,0401.1374). This is confirmed by the presence of a stamp from Naukratis (Petrie 1886, pl. xxix; Bolton Museum 1886.31.35) used to stamp a design on a terracotta disc stopper from the same site (Munich, Bavarian State Collection of Antiques 5310; Hamdorf, Knauss, and Leitmeir 2014, E 964) and not bread or cake. A number of such terracotta and stone stamps (Alexandria, Greco-Roman Museum 9710; British Museum GR 1888,0601.157, GR 1886,0401.1768, 1886,0401.1367, 1888,0601.156, 1886,0401.1370, 1886,0401.1369, 1965,0930.896, 1965,0930.895; Bolton Museum 1966.94.A, 1886.31.35; Boston, Museum of Fine Arts RES.87.298, 88.912, 88.914, 88.916, 88.917, 88.913, 88.911, 86.667, 86.666, 88.915, 86.665, 86.664, 86.663; Bristol, City Art Gallery & Museum, H2241; Cambridge, Fitzwilliam Museum, GR.46.1887, GR.45.1887, GR.44.1887, GR.43.1887, GR.42.1887, GR.41.1887; Cambridge, Museum of Classical Archaeology, NA732; NA731, NA730, NA729, NA728, NA727, NA726, NA725, NA724; Liverpool, World Museum 9,9,86,57, 9,9,86,56; Oxford, Ashmolean Museum AN1896-1908-E.4568, AN1886.517, AN1886.516, AN1886.515, AN1886.514, AN1886.513, AN1886.512) and the stoppers produced by them (Munich, Bavarian State Collection of Antiques 5310; Hamdorf, Knauss, and Leitmeir 2014, E 964; Bailey 2008, 3612, 3611, 3609,3608, GR 1886, 0401.1368; 1886,0401.1373; 1886,0401.1374). are known from Naukratis. These are commonly dated to the Ptolemaic period, though some are Early Roman in date (Bailey 2008).
- Location
- Not on display
- Department
- External
- Additional IDs
-
Miscellaneous number: 9710 (Accession Number)