Leather fragment with Demotic inscription in ink

Fragment Dimensions:

    4.2 cm wide x 4.5 cm high, 0.3 cm thick

Description:
     
    Fragment of leather.
    Fragment surfaces are curved.
    Leather surface is dark brown in color and is stained.
    The surface shows extensive cracking.
    The surface is also dirty.
    Edges show uneven and curved cutting/shaping.
    Two edge portions are broken and expose the lighter 
    reddish-brown colored interior.
    This leather fragment is most likely from a shoe. 
    
    
Side A
    
     Concave surface.
     Leather surface is dark brown in color.
     The surface shows extensive cracking.
     Four lines of text written in black ink.
     Text appears to be in a Demotic (?) script.
     Left side shows some dark brown staining. 
     


Side B
    
     Convex surface
     Shiny black resin-like stain the right side
     of the fragment.
     The stain covers about half the surface of 
     fragment.
     No inscriptions are visible on the surface.
    
    

NOTES
     
     This leather fragment is most likely from a shoe. 
     It was common practice from the Roman through the 
     Byzantine period (and probably later) for the 
     shoe-maker to inscribe a blessing or statment of 
     good luck or health for the wearer on shoes (often on 
     the instep of the shoe soles). It is also possible 
     scrap leather containing writing was reused for another 
     purpose.
     
     
     Images were scanned directly from the actual fragment.
     Images were slightly enhanced to improve contrast.
     

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