Offering Bearer, Pyramid Temple of Senwosret I
ca. 1961–1917 B.C.
Medium
Tempera on paper
Dimensions
facsimile: h. 29.7 cm (11 11/16 in); w. 57.2 cm (22 1/2 in), scale 1:1, framed: h. 34.3 cm (13 1/2 in); w. 62.2 cm (24 1/2 in)
Classification
Facsimile, Pyramid Temple of Senwosret I
Period
Middle Kingdom
Department
Egyptian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1909
Accession Number
INST.1979.2.29
Art Historical Context
This facsimile captures an elegant offering from the Pyramid Temple of Senwosret I, created during Egypt’s Middle Kingdom, Dynasty 12 (ca. 1961–1917 B.C.). Painted in tempera on paper at exact 1:1 scale, the copy preserves the graceful stride and balanced proportions typical of royal temple reliefs this era. Senwret I’s complex at Lisht such figures along processional walls, symbolizing the flow of food, drink and provisions that sustained the king’s spirit and maintained cosmic order. In ancient Egyptian belief, offering bearers embodied abundance and piety, ensuring the deceased pharaoh’s e...