King Den's sandal label
- Audio guide stop: 351
- Gallery: Room 64
- Culture: 1st Dynasty
- Date: 2985BC (approximately)
- Object type: label
- Materials: ivory
- Museum number: EA55586
- Museum: The British Museum
- Collection record: British Museum website
- Image © The Trustees of the British Museum, shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 licence.
Listen to the free audio guide
About this object
Before you is "King Den's sandal label," an intricate ivory object from the 1st Dynasty of ancient Egypt. Restored from three fragments, this label was likely attached to a sandal, as shown by the incised image of sandals on its reverse.
On the front, a scene unfolds with King Den raising a mace to strike a captive. The capturer stands strong in a left-facing stance, a sign of dominance in Egyptian art; the captive’s posture and appearance mark him as an Eastern enemy. Den’s figure is remarkably dynamic—his poised form and raised heel convey motion, a rare sophistication in First Dynasty imagery.
Notice the king’s name, incised in the center at the top, and his bull’s tail, a symbol of strength and fertility. He wears a headcloth shaped like a cobra, a forerunner of the royal uraeus. Behind him, inscriptions and a depiction of the god Wepwawet’s standard add layers of meaning.
This label beautifully weaves imagery and writing, reflecting the artistic maturity of Egypt’s earliest rulers.
See it in person
King Den's sandal label is on display in Room 64 at the British Museum on Great Russell Street, Bloomsbury, London — free to enter. Choose British Museum on audioguide.london and type its audio guide stop number, 351, from the gallery label, or take a photo of it, to hear this free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
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