Unknown Copyist

The designation Unknown Copyist refers to the individual or collective responsible for documenting and replicating specific artifacts, reliefs, and wall paintings from Ancient Egyptian tombs. Their recorded period of activity is extraordinarily broad, spanning from approximately 2381 BCE to 1473 BCE. This functional title indicates involvement in archaeological recording or faithful artistic replication, focusing on the preservation and study of themes related to daily life, funerary practice, and agriculture in antiquity.

Five works attributed to the Unknown Copyist are currently represented in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, establishing the credibility of these early records. The subjects documented illustrate scenes critical to the understanding of Egyptian civilization and religious beliefs. Works from the database include the detailed Floral Decoration, Mastaba of Perneb and four specific records from the Tomb of Djari: Funerary Provisions and Hunting, Tomb of Djari, Harvesting Sicamore Figs, Tomb of Djari, Laden Donkeys and Men Plowing, Tomb of Djari, and Men Roping a Bull and Driving Cattle, Tomb of Djari.

The surviving documentation by the Unknown Copyist provides invaluable insight into the visual culture of early Egyptian dynasties. These works are frequently studied and reproduced; the high-quality prints and records created by such copyists are often now considered part of the public domain. Today, researchers utilize these Unknown Copyist prints to examine details lost or degraded in the original ancient sites.