An Encyclopaedia of Indian Archaeology v1.c25.s4.t1.10

v1.c25.s4.t1.10

A stylus is basically a writing instrument of wood, bone, ivory, metal or terracotta. It can even be a piece of reed or a feather with a sharp wedge-shaped or pointed end. Besides writing it can also be used for marking figures and decorative designs on objects of clay by incision. There are two types of styli one with a thick or pointed end and the other with a notiched end. The former type was held directly in the closed first by the scribe; in the other type the notch was fixed into the wooden frame which was held in the hand.