Ancient Egyptian false eye from Dandara

Painted pottery or stone false eye from a mummy or mummy case or mask. Eliptical in shape, the piece is painted on the outer surface. It has a white background and a black and blue painted line around the inside edge, with traces of blue, and a painted disc in the centre, from which a much of the black infill paint has worn away – still friable. There is a small dot of red paint at one inside corner of the eye, and parts of the edges seem to have been painted in red too. Traces of black substance on the back and sides of the eye, probably from its original attachment. Two pieces of modern paper adhere to the back of the eye, with Dendereh written on one of them.

Ancient Egyptian false eye from Dandara

Object details

  • Reference: BOLMG:1898.56.66
  • Material: pottery stone
  • Excavator: W.M.F. Petrie
  • Object name: false eye
  • Dimensions: Length: 42mm , Width: 19mm , Depth: 4mm
  • Published references: Petrie W M F Dendereh 1898 pp 32 - 33 p 66 pl XXXVI ?
  • Site: Dandara
  • Latitude: 26.16627
  • Longitude: 32.661584