Relief fragment from a procession of attendants - see 31.3.1-1
Unknown Artist
ca. 2051–2030 B.C.
Medium
Limestone, paint
Dimensions
H. 10 x W. 8.5 cm (3 15/16 x 3 3/8 in.)
Classification
Relief fragments, Tomb of Neferu
Period
Middle Kingdom
Department
Egyptian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1931
Accession Number
31.3.1f
Art Historical Context
This delicate limestone relief fragment, dating to Egypt's Middle Kingdom (Dynasty 11, ca. 2051–2030 B.C.), a moment from a procession of attendants, part of a larger tomb temple wall decoration. Such scenes were vital in ancient Egyptian funerary art, depicting servants bearing offerings to sustain the deceased in the afterlife. The small scale—measuring just 10 x 8.5 cm—hints at its role within an expansive narrative frieze, evoking the ordered, eternal world Egyptians sought to create beyond death. Carved in low relief with traces of original paint, the artwork showcases the era's refined ...