Polished Bone Stylus | Harvard Art Museums

Identification and Creation

Object Number: 2012.1.116
Title: Polished Bone Stylus
Classification: Tools and Equipment
Work Type: stylus
Date: 4th-5th century CE
Period: Byzantine period
Culture: Coptic
Persistent Link: https://hvrd.art/o/191533

Physical Descriptions

Medium: Bone
Technique: Carved
Dimensions: 13.7 and 17.9 cm (7 1/16 in.)

Provenance

Recorded Ownership History: [C. Dikran Kelekian, Ancient Arts, New York, 1983] sold; to The Alice Corinne McDaniel Collection, Department of the Classics, Harvard University (1983-2012), transfer; to the Harvard Art Museums, 2012.

Acquisition and Rights

Credit Line: Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Transfer from the Alice Corinne McDaniel Collection, Department of the Classics, Harvard University
Accession Year: 2012
Object Number: 2012.1.116
Division: Asian and Mediterranean Art
Contact: am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu
Permissions: The Harvard Art Museums encourage the use of images found on this website for personal, noncommercial use, including educational and scholarly purposes. To request a higher resolution file of this image, please submit an online request.

Descriptions

Description: Cylindrical bone stylus; one end is pointed, the other rounded, with carved torus decoration in relief on the stylus shaft.
Commentary: A stylus of this type would have been used to write on a Roman tablet; tablets were made of wood and a surface was covered in wax. The wax surface made the tablet reusable, and the rounded end of the stylus could be used for "erasing" text.

Verification Level

This record has been reviewed by the curatorial staff but may be incomplete. Our records are frequently revised and enhanced. For more information please contact the Division of Asian and Mediterranean Art at am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu

Your Collection

Log in to the Harvard Art Museums