Collection Item – Teece Museum of Classical Antiquities

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Fragment of an Ostrakon; Unattributed; 2nd-3rd Century AD; 168.81

From:UC Teece Museum of Classical Antiquities

Name/TitleFragment of an Ostrakon

About this objectAn ostrakon (plural: ostraka) is a broken piece of pottery, usually from a vase or other earthenware vessel, that has been used as a notepad. A message can be added by painting, writing in ink, or scratching into the pottery. Some ostraka are also made of pieces of stone or limestone flakes with the letters scratched into the surface. An ostrakon could contain lists, letters, schoolwork, pictures or any type of notes that needed writing down.

This piece is only a fragment of a full letter. It is a fragment of brown Egyptian clay pottery with Greek letters written in black ink. The surface is smoothly finished, and would be a good choice to use for this purpose. The remaining seven letters on the fragment come from the middle of the phrase ἒρρωσθαι εὒχωμαι which translates as 'I wish you well', or literally 'I pray for your health'. This is the standard phrase used at the end of a letter, and indicates that the full message would have most likely been a brief note to someone.

MakerUnattributed

Date Made2nd-3rd Century AD

PeriodCoptic

Place MadeEgypt

Medium and MaterialsCeramic: Pottery

Style and IconographyGreco-Egyptian

Inscription and MarksThe Inscription reads:
ἒρ] ρωσθ [αι
εὒ] χωμ [αι
The Inscription translates as: I wish you well (literally 'I pray for your health')

TechniqueInscriptions

TechniqueThrowing (pottery technique)

MeasurementsLength 39mm; Width 31mm

Subject and Association KeywordsWriting and art

Subject and Association KeywordsInscriptions, Greek

Named CollectionThe James Logie Memorial Collection, University of Canterbury, New Zealand

Credit LinePurchased, 1981

Object TypeInformation Artefacts

Object number168.81