Stela (Commemorative Stone) Depicting the Funeral of Ramose
New Kingdom, Dynasty 19, reign of Ramesses II (about 1279–1213 BCE)
Medium
Sandstone and pigment
Dimensions
111.8 × 84.5 × 12.1 cm (44 × 33 1/4 × 4 3/4 in.)
Classification
Stelae
Department
Arts of Africa
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
78165
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
Ancient Egyptians used mummification and ritual to transform the body into a new entity called a sah, a crucial step in preparing the deceased for life after death. A ceremony called the Opening of the Mouth, depicted here, was a pivotal step in the process. As the name suggests, the rite restored function to the deceased’s mouth, allowing them to eat and drink in the afterlife. At the right end of this scene, a jackal-headed figure holds Ramose’s anthropoid (human-shaped) coffin upright. A pair...
About the Artist
Ancient Egyptian
Ancient Egyptian artists, a collective of highly skilled artisans spanning over three millennia from the Predynastic period (c. 6000–3150 BC) to the Roman era (30 BC–4th century AD), produced some of humanity's most enduring masterpieces. These anonymous craftsmen, often organized in state-sponsored workshops, lived in dedicated communities like Deir el-Medina near Luxor during the New Kingdom (c....