Egyptian Game Pieces

Life in ancient Egypt was not all work. In their leisure time, the ancient Egyptians played a number of different board games. The most well-known of these was called senet, which means “passing.” As with modern board games, the goal of each player was to get all of their pieces past the final square and off the board ahead of their opponent. Senet was a two-person game and each player had his or her own pieces. One player moved the shorter, spool- or drum-shaped pieces and the other the taller, conical ones. Although the basic shapes were the same for any senet game, variation in decoration, size, and material made each gaming set an individual’s prized possession.

The symbolism inherent in any game – overcoming obstacles to reach a successful conclusion – was not lost on the ancient Egyptians and the game of senet was also a metaphor for the deceased’s safe transition to the afterlife. Game boards have been found in tombs and images of the tomb owner playing senet or other games date back to earliest dynastic times.

Among the eight game pieces you see here, there are three examples of the conical shape and five of the spool shape. These pieces may have come from as many as seven different sets. Only the two pieces at the bottom of the photograph are similar in shape.

To learn more about the game of senet and see an example of a complete board with pieces in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, please visit the following web pages –

-Patricia Podzorski – Curator of Egyptian Art, Institute of Egyptian Art & Archaeology