Relief fragment from the tomb of Meketre

Art Historical Context

This exquisite relief fragment hails from the tomb of Meket, a prominent vizier and treasurer who served under pharaohs of Egypt's Middle Kingdom, specifically Dynasty 12 (ca. 1981–1975 B.C.). Discovered in Thebes and now housed in the Metropolitan Museum of's Egyptian Art Department (acquired via the Rogers Fund in 1931), it the era's tomb decorations designed to ensure the deceased's comfort in the afterlife. Carved from limestone and vividly painted, the fragment showcases the refined techniques of Middle Kingdom artists. These sunk reliefs—where figures are incised into the stone—allowed ...