ClassificationsAncient Egyptian Art

Tomb Relief Fragment

Possible OriginGiza, Egypt, Africa

CultureEgyptian

PeriodOld Kingdom, Dynasty 4, Reign of Khufu

Date2509-2483 BCE

MediumLimestone

Credit LineCollected by William A. Shelton, funded by John A. Manget

Dimensions21 3/8 x 2 3/8 x 17 7/8 in. (54.3 x 6 x 45.4 cm)

Object number1921.030

Label TextThis relief fragment came from the wall of an Old Kingdom official's tomb. While the man's name does not seem to be preserved on the fragment, the surviving text gives some clues as to his identity. He held the title Vizier, making him the highest ranking government official behind the king of Egypt. The title of Lector Priest shows his involvement in religious life while also reinforcing the idea that he was literate. On the viewer's right hand side of the fragment is the cartouche of Khufu. Khufu was the second king of the 4th Dynasty and is best known for his tomb, the Great Pyramid at Giza, which is the only surviving Wonder of the Ancient World. In the Old Kingdom, officials tended to be buried near the tomb of the king they served, so it is entirely possible this official's tomb is located in Giza.
Exhibition HistoryMCCM Permanent Collection Galleries, May 11, 1993 - Spring 2001
Monuments and Mummies: The Shelton Expedition, Emory University Museum of Art and Archaeology, February 8 - June 25, 1989

Terms

ProvenanceAcquired for Emory University Museum by William Shelton (1875-1959), ca. 1920.

Inscribed...Chief Justice, Vizier, King's Son...\...Brother of the Funerary Estate, Embalmer of Anubis...\...Sole Companion, King's Son...\...Lector Priest, Khufu...

Status

Not on view

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