opschrift

Opschrift is a Dutch term referring to any text that has been inscribed on a durable surface. It covers writings that are carved, engraved, incised, painted, or printed onto objects such as monuments, buildings, plaques, coins, pottery, tombs, manuscripts, or architectural elements. The word emphasizes the physical act of inscribing and the material medium, rather than a mere transcription of words.

In archaeology, art history, and museology, opschriften are important primary sources. They can provide dates, dedications, authorship, ownership, religious or commemorative messages, and social or political information associated with an object or site. Common types include dedicatory inscriptions on monuments, votive inscriptions on statues, epitaphs on graves, ownership marks on artifacts, and title or commemorative inscriptions on coins and monuments. The language, script, and style of an opschrift can yield insights into the historical period and cultural context of its creation.

Study of opschriften falls under epigraphy, the scholarly discipline devoted to inscriptions. Epigraphists analyze script, orthography, dating formulas, and linguistic features to interpret meaning, provenance, and chronology. Inscriptional evidence often complements literary and archaeological data, helping reconstruct historical events, religious practices, and daily life in past societies.

Etymologically, opschrift derives from op- “upon” and schrift “writing.” The Dutch term is closely related to the German Aufschrift and the English word inscription. In use, opschrift distinguishes the physical inscription on an object from the broader concept of written text.