Relief fragment, tomb of Meketre
Unknown Artist
ca. 1981–1975 B.C.
Medium
Limestone, paint
Dimensions
H. 10.5 × W. 5.5 × D. 3.9 cm (4 1/8 × 2 3/16 × 1 9/16 in.)
Classification
Relief fragment, tomb of Meketre
Period
Middle Kingdom
Department
Egyptian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund and Edward S. Harkness Gift, 1920
Accession Number
20.3.981
Art Historical Context
This delicate limestone relief fragment hails from the tomb of Mre, a high-ranking official during Egypt's Middle Kingdom, around 1981–1975 B.C. (Dynasty 12). Measuring just 4 1/8 × 2 3/16 × 1 9/16 inches, it offers a tantalizing glimpse into the elite funerary world of ancient Thebes. Meketre, likely a treasurer or provincial governor, commissioned elaborate tomb decorations to ensure his eternal prosperity, reflecting the period's renewed artistic vigor after the chaos of the First Intermediate PeriodCarved in low relief and once vividly painted—a hallmark of Egyptian tomb art—the fragment e...