Plaque depicting a king offering wine Possibly Ptolemaic Dynasty, ca. 305-30 B.C.E. Soft limestone, H: 18.9 W: 16.5 D: 3.9 cm Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1909.142 Plaque depicting head of the crocodile-headed god Sobek Saite Dynasty 26 or later, 664-525 B.C.E. or later Limestone, H: 8.3 W: 12.5 D: 1.6 cm Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1908.58

(From Museum website): "Thin, rectangular plaques made of limestone, carved on one or both sides with figures in low relief, have often been interpreted as sculptors'models. They would have furnished patterns for artists to imitate, thus ensuring that the images or hieroglyphs carved on a tomb or temple wall would appear uniform in style and consistent in details even when executed by artisans trained in different workshops. Some plaques have raised borders incised at regular intervals. The markings were probably used to align a grid painted across the surface of the plaque. Artists could then outline the figure to be carved according to an established canon, or set of proportions, measured by means of the grid." (From Museum website): "The quality of carving on these plaques varies considerably, suggesting that some may have served as trial pieces for artisans practicing their skills. Still others may have functioned instead as votive objects offered in a temple by worshipers, with the carved image depicting the deity to whom they were dedicated."

Sculptor's Model - Ram @ ARTIC

Models: Owl and Chick @ ARTIC