Funerary Cone
Unknown Artist
ca. 1550–1295 B.C.
Medium
Pottery
Dimensions
Preserved L. 3.5 cm (1 3/8 in.); Diam. 6.5 cm (2 9/16 in.)
Classification
Cone
Period
New Kingdom
Department
Egyptian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Norman de Garis Davies, 1930
Accession Number
30.6.180
Tags
Art Historical Context
This modest yet poignant funerary cone, crafted from pottery around 1550–1295 B.C. during Egypt's New Kingdom (Dyn 18), offers a glimpse into ancient Egyptian about the afterlife. These small, cone-shaped objects—measuring just 3.5 cm long and 6.5 cm in diameter—were mass-produced for placement in tomb chapels. Wedged into wall niches, they publicly displayed the deceased's name, titles and prayers, inviting passersby to recite offerings of bread, beer, and oxen to nourish the ka, or spirit, in eternity. Inscribed with hieroglyphs, this cone exemplifies the era's refined pottery techniques, l...