The inkwell of Muntanyar de Xàbia travels to Córdoba for the exhibition "The Awakening to Life: Childhood and Adolescence in Ancient Egypt," curated by Esther Pons, Isabel Olbés y Maite MascortAll three are specialists in the Egyptian world, and two of them currently serve as directors of the archaeological excavation at the site of Oxyrhynchus in Egypt.
The inkwell was discovered by the previous municipal archaeologist, Joaquim BouferDuring the excavations of the Roman necropolis of Punta de l'Arenal in 1985. Years later, in 2014, he recognized a very similar inkwell from the Oxyrhynchus site, then excavated by the specialist Josep PadróThe joint study by both archaeologists determined that the inkwell from Xàbia came from Egypt and had been made in the 6th century by coptsThe piece consists of a bronze ink bowl and a lid to prevent evaporation, and is believed to have belonged to a scribe, a rare figure at that time.
Leading role in an international exhibition
The piece has been selected to occupy a prominent place in the exhibition, organized by the Town Hall From Cordoba y Vimcorsa, in collaboration with Eulen ArtThe exhibition offers a comprehensive overview of Ancient Egyptian civilization, focusing on one of its lesser-known periods: the childhood and the transition to adolescenceIt will feature Egyptian artifacts from some of the most important European museums.
The exhibition will remain open from December 4th 2025 al April 5th 2026 in the Vimcorsa and Orive halls in the city of Córdoba.
