This small box (less than 17cm on its longest dimension) is around 3500 years old. It may’ve come from Akhmim, and dates to the early 18th Dynasty. It’s now in the Brooklyn Museum (acc. no. 60.1.1).

If it wasn’t for the wear & tear you might think this quite modern. The designs aren’t identical and I don’t think the modern boxes you can get in Egypt or museum gift shops have real ivory on them, tho! But it’s still a nice bit of continuity between the modern and the ancient.

Another bit of continuity is likely to be the reason the Egyptians had so many boxes. In a discussion in the Em Hotep Facebook group Susan Ryan shared that since she’s moved to Egypt she stores more of her small possessions in boxes, because of the pervasive sand and dust!

See it on my photo site: https://photos.talesfromthetwolands.org/picture.php?/329/

Jigsaw Puzzles:
easier: https://www.jigsawplanet.com/?rc=play&pid=21efb8f8d306
harder: https://www.jigsawplanet.com/?rc=play&pid=3640bc0510f7