It also looks satisfyingly sturdy and no-nonsense, though it may have had a more delicate appearance originally. I had been hoping to do a portrait of this smaller (significantly more modest) example of the board game, which, without the hounds and jackals inserted, looks a lot like an enchanted piece of furniture that has sprouted legs and is about to run off to chase an invisible tail. We have all fiddled with a lock, played a fun boardgame, opened a drawer, or picked straggly hairs out of a comb, so the connection with these objects and the people who used them feels tangible and reassuringly unfanciful. When we look at objects like these, our imagination doesn’t have to work hard, because it is grounded in actions we understand. These wrappings also included a lovely faience hippopotamus and a ‘shen’ amulet. It was found in the same tomb as our boardgame here and is displayed with a mirror belonging to an official named Reniseneb, which was found in the wrappings of Reniseneb’s mummy. Those wishing to share my detours can take a look at this incredible cosmetics box, belonging to a butler named Kemeni, who served king Amenemhat IV. I especially like seeing hinges, doors, drawers, and locks (note the mechanism holding in the drawer on the front of this game), as well as everyday artefacts like combs, mirrors, or cosmetics jars. I often lose track of time while browsing through collections of Egyptian objects, and invariably catch myself making the same internal, silent exclamations again and again – yes, certain Egyptian objects really do feel astoundingly modern and accessible to us now, and I never tire of the excitement they offer. It was made 500 years after this lovely linen and cord ball was buried with its young owner, and at least 300 years before these knucklebones were used to play with. I never fail to be marvelled by the intricacy of certain Egyptian objects like this almost 4000-year-old game of Hounds and Jackals, even though I am aware that when people refer to ‘Ancient Egypt’ they could be referring to any moment across several different millennia.įor those of us requiring visual references for the purposes of a timeline, let’s compare it to our other Egyptian playthings.
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