alb3623953
Writing board. Dimensions: L. 43 cm (16 15/16 in); w. 19 cm (7 1/2 in). Dynasty: Dynasty 12. Date: ca. 1981-1802 B.C..Gessoed boards were used for writing notes or school exercises. Like the slate writing tablets of yesteryear, they could be used repeatedly, with old texts being whitewashed to provide a "clean slate" for another. This board still bears traces of earlier writing (at left). The main text is a wordy model letter that the student copied--and surely also was expected to memorize. His many spelling mistakes have been corrected in red ink by the teacher. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.
DC