Skip to main content

Visit Main Menu Block

  • Hours & Admission
  • Accessibility & Amenities
  • Tours & Group Visits
  • Visitor Guidelines

Exhibitions and Events Main Menu Block

  • Exhibitions
  • Events

Art and Design Main Menu Block

  • Collection
  • Collection Research
  • Past Exhibitions
  • Watch / Listen / Read

Footer Main

  • Become a Member
  • Who We Are
  • Opportunities
  • Rent the Museum
Previous image 1 2 / 2 Next image

Unknown Maker, Egyptian

Ripple-flaked knife
Now On View

Maker

Unknown Maker, Egyptian

Culture

Egyptian

Title

Ripple-flaked knife

Period

Predynastic Period, Nagada IIc-IIIa

Year

3450-3200 BCE

Medium

  • flint

Materials/Techniques

Techniques

  • flint

Materials

flint

Dimensions

Length: 23.8 cm (9 3/8 inches)

Credit / Object Number

Credit

Museum Appropriation Fund

Object Number

23.002

Type

  • Stonework

Exhibition History

Ancient Egyptian Galleries
Jun 10, 2014

Label copy

This knife was created from one large piece of flint; using localized pressure (as opposed to striking the blade with a hammerstone), a craftsman precisely removed small flakes of flint to produce the ripple-flake edge. Flakes were removed only on one side of the knife, perpendicular to the blade, then smaller flakes were removed to give the knife a serrated edge. Given the large amount of time and skill involved in producing ripple-flaked knives, it is likely they were reserved for ceremonial use, as grave goods.

This knife is still sharp.

Image use

The images on this website can enable discovery and collaboration and support new scholarship, and we encourage their use.

Public Domain This object is in the Public Domain and available under a CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication

Tombstone

Unknown Maker, Egyptian
Ripple-flaked knife, 3450-3200 BCE
Flint
Length: 23.8 cm (9 3/8 inches)
Museum Appropriation Fund 23.002

To request new photography, please send an email to imagerequest@risd.edu and include your name and the object's accession number.

Feedback

We view our online collection as a living documents, and our records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you have additional information or have spotted an error, please send feedback to curatorial@risd.edu.

Footer Main

  • Become a Member
  • Who We Are
  • Opportunities
  • Rent the Museum

Footer Main Navigation

  • Visit

    • Hours & Admission
    • Accessibility & Amenities
    • Tours & Group Visits
    • Visitor Guidelines
  • Art & Design

    • Collection Research
    • Collection
    • Past Exhibitions
  • Join / Give

    • Become a Member
    • Give
  • Exhibitions & Events

    • Exhibitions
    • Events
  • Watch / Listen / Read

    • The Latest
    • Publications
    • Articles
    • Audio & Video

Footer Secondary Navigation

  • Who We Are
  • Opportunities
  • Image Request
  • Press Office
  • Rent the Museum
  • Terms of Use
Tickets
Homepage
Go to the risd.edu homepage. This link will open in a new window.