Old Kingdom, Dynasties 3-6, ca. 2707-2219 BCE (dates given in Museum book differ from info card) Egyptian alabaster (calcite) D: 14 3/4; H: 1 3/4 in (38 x 4.5 cm) Purchased in Egypt, 1934, OIM 16950 Photo ©Joan Ann Lansberry, 2010

(From Info Cards): "The Egyptians were fond of many types of board games such as Senet, 20 Squares, Mehen, and Foxes and Hounds. Some of these games were purely recreational, while others seem to have had a religious symbolism that often alluded to the individual's ability to overcome dangers in the afterlife. "A game board in the form of a coiled snake was among the earliest Egyptian games. Using a set of lion-shaped and round markers, play started at the snake's tail, which was in the form of a bird's head. The two or four opponents raced each other to the goal located in the snake's head. Mehen was the name of the serpent deity whose coils protected the sun god." (From _Ancient Egypt: Treasures of the Oriental Institute_, by Emily Teeter, page 13): "Texts indicate that Mehen imprisoned the enemies of the sun god within its coils, while other representations show Mehen protectively encircling the sun god. The objective of the Mehen game was to travel along the coils of the snake's body to reach the area where, symbolically, the sun god dwelled, and hence, to join that god in his cycle of eternal rebirth." "There is considerable variety in Mehen games. Some have nearly 400 squares, while this example has only 127, and the snake may be coiled in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction."

Acacia game board and drawer (from Akhmim ?) , OIM 371b and OIM 371a, respectively Top Carved With 20 Sm Sq, also 12 Glazed Frit Pieces (Various Types) More Than 2 Knucklebones Used As Dice Photo ©Joan Ann Lansberry, 2010

Photo before Photoshopping, with shadow of my hands with camera, and reflections

Senet game at Brooklyn Museum