Relief fragment from the tomb of Meketre
Unknown Artist
ca. 1981–1975 B.C.
Medium
Limestone, paint
Dimensions
H. 9.3 cm ( 3 11/16 in.); W. 13.5 cm ( 5 5/16 in.); D. 4.5 cm (1 3/4 in.)
Classification
Relief, tomb of Meketre
Period
Middle Kingdom
Department
Egyptian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1931
Accession Number
31.3.178b
Art Historical Context
This delicate limestone relief fragment hails from the tomb of Meketre, a prominent Egyptian official who served under pharaohs Mentuhotep II andusret I during the Kingdom's Dynasty 12 (ca. 1981–1975 B.C.). Discovered near modern-day Luxor, Meketre's tomb is renowned for its vivid wooden models depicting everyday life, but such painted reliefs complemented them by immortalizing scenes of offerings, agriculture, or rituals—ensuring the deceased's eternal prosperity in the afterlife. Crafted in a period of artistic revival, it reflects the Middle Kingdom's return to Old Kingdom ideals of order a...