Artwork preview

Oracle bone fragment

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Oracle bone fragment by an unknown artist shows a light brown, irregularly shaped piece of bone. The bone is roughly rectangular with a curved edge on the right side and a jagged edge on the top. There are several lines of small, ancient Chinese characters etched into the surface of the bone. The characters appear to be written in a vertical column down the center of the bone. The background of the image is a plain light gray color. The bone casts a faint shadow on the surface below it.

Artwork Details

Medium
Inscribed bone
Culture
China
Dimensions
416 × 624 px
Public Domain
Yes
Museum Record
View original
Palette