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Walters Art Museum (Egyptian) · jewelry

Cylinder Seal with Offering Scene and Hieroglyphs

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

Description

<p>This seal depicts a figure seated, arms extended, in front of an offering table topped with bread. Two quadrupeds, possibly dogs, stand behind the figure. The seal is inscribed with early hieroglyphic signs on either side of the figure. Some signs are identifiable but currently not understandable, and they probably indicate the figure’s uncertain name. This scene type with the deceased sitting at an offering table is included in funerary stelae and on tomb walls throughout ancient Egyptian history. The seal is pierced lengthwise so as to be worn as a personal ornament that acted as both a marker of status and a protective charm. This seal dates to the beginning of the Egyptian state during the First Dynasty or the early Second Dynasty (ca. 2960-2649 BCE). Administrative cylinder seals also existed during this early period, however based on the known provenance of many of these seal-types—non-royal tombs—this seal’s function was most likely to help maintain the deceased’s funerary cult rather than to act as an administrative tool.</p><p>For the latest information about this object, <cite><a href='https://purl.thewalters.org/art/42.168' rel='external'>Cylinder Seal with Offering Scene and Hieroglyphs</a></cite>, visit the Online Collection of the Walters Art Museum.</p>

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.

Low-relief incised scene with surrounding hieroglyphic signs on a small stone cylinder or cylinder-like seal surface, showing offering gestures toward a central element.

The image shows a narrow band filled with carved, low-relief hieroglyphs and a central register-like motif. Several groups of hieroglyphic signs flank the center; some include wedge-like and line-like elements consistent with Egyptian writing. A central seated/standing figure-like form is partially suggested by blocky carved shapes, but facial features and clear iconographic attributes are not sufficiently distinct to identify a specific deity or royal name. No modern text is visible. The surface appears to be a dark-to-light gray stone with fine incised lines, consistent with the catalogue material (steatite), though the lighting limits certainty. No cartouches are clearly resolved in the provided crop.

hieroglyphic only unknown (possibly late Period or later; insufficient detail) good
Materials stone (appears consistent with steatite)
Signs multiple incised line-and-wedge hieroglyph groups (exact signs unclear) ×30

Inscriptions (1)

Inscription #1

English description

[Inscription]

Cross-references (2)

  • Walters-AccNum 42.168 tier-2
  • Walters-id 27487 tier-2

Similar inscriptions · by content embedding

About this record's data
  • From the source institution — accession, description, dimensions, and dating are as catalogued by Walters Art Museum (Egyptian).
  • 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.