Pen

Hollow piece of finished wood, cut at a slant at both ends. The wood surface has alternating dark and light diagonal bands. Pen cases such as this were frequently treasured objects belonging to scribes. This box still contains its original reed pen, with its nib cut to specifications of the script for which it was last used. The built-in metal inkwell could be a later modification by the box's owner, one that required that the pen be shortened to fit inside the box..