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© Bruce M. White, 2015.
Stela of Hary and Neferet
© Bruce M. White, 2015.
© Bruce M. White, 2015.
© Bruce M. White, 2015.
ClassificationsAncient Egyptian Art

Stela of Hary and Neferet

CultureEgyptian
PeriodNew Kingdom
Date1539-1077 BCE
MediumLimestone, pigment
Credit LineGift of Joop Bollen
Dimensions27 1/2 x 20 1/2 in. (69.9 x 52.1 cm)
Object number2012.043.001
Label TextThe stela depicts Hary and his wife, Neferet, bowing in reverance before Osiris, the god of the underworld. Before Osiris stand the Four Sons of Horus on a lotus flower. Charged with protecting specific organs, the Four Sons of Horus often decorated canopic jars that held the visera after embalming. At the bottom of the stela sits the god of embalming, Anubis, in the form of a jackal or canine. Crouching on a booth, Anubis oversees the Weighing of the Heart ritual on the scales, with ibis headed Thoth recording the verdict. At the top of the stela, the sun disc is carried in its heavenly boat, reflecting the deceased's hope for regeneration in the afterlife.
The texts at the top of the stela read, "An offering which the king gives to Osiris. Oh! Hary, Neferet,...".
The texts on the bottom say, "Recitation by Anubis, Lord of the West. Thoth, Lord of Hermopolis, for the ka of Hary".
Exhibition HistoryLife and Death in the Pyramid Age: The Emory Old Kingdom Mummy, Michael C. Carlos Museum, September 10 - December 11, 2011
African Cosmos: Stellar Arts, Michael C. Carlos Museum, January 31 - June 21, 2015
ProvenanceEx coll. Simon Ohan Simonian, Egypt, Switzerland, and California. Ex coll. Joop Bollen, United States, acquired from Kevork Simonian [Nomis Antiquities], Van Nuys, California, 2010.
Status
Not on view
Collections
  • Ancient Egyptian, Nubian, and Near Eastern Art