ClassificationsAncient Egyptian Art

Relief of a Man Seated at a Table of Offerings

(not assigned)Egypt

CultureEgyptian

PeriodOld Kingdom, Dynasty 5

Date2435-2306 BCE

MediumLimestone, pigment

Credit LineGift of Joop Bollen

Dimensions14 x 10 1/2 x 3 3/4 in. (35.6 x 26.7 x 9.5 cm)

Object number2008.059.001A

Label TextThe owner of a mastaba tomb is shown here sitting on a stool supported by a carved representation of cow legs, which stand on little trapezoidal pads. The seat of the chair ends in carved papyrus heads, often used as decorative terminals in furniture. By the end of the Old Kingdom, lion legs largely replace bovine ones as supports for beds, stools, and chairs.|

The man wears a short linen kilt tied with a belt and a triangular apron that droops over the side of the stool. He wears a broad collar, and one hand is held up to his chest. Often a linen napkin would be shown held in this hand; it may never have been carved here or rendered only in paint. Traces of paint show he was colored a dark red to depict a deep tan. His hair is worn long, reaching to his shoulders in a common hairstyle for men of the period along with a short beard below his chin.
Exhibition HistoryLife and Death in the Pyramid Age: The Emory Old Kingdom Mummy, Michael C. Carlos Museum, September 10 - December 11, 2011
MCCM Permanent Collection Reinstallation, May 14, 2013 - Present

ProvenanceEx coll. Joop Bollen, United States, purchased from Kevork Simonian [Nomis Antiquities], Van Nuys, California, 2007.

Status

On view

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