Stele of Itetioqer and Family
Unknown Artist
c. 2123–2040 BCE
Medium
painted limestone
Dimensions
24.5 × 51.8 cm
Classification
Sculpture
Department
Egyptian and Ancient Near Eastern Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Gift of the John Huntington Art and Polytechnic Trust
Accession Number
1914.543
About this artwork
The huge eyes, spindly limbs, and awkwardly laid out inscriptions are typical of the period after the collapse of the Old Kingdom, when there was no central government. Court sponsorship of the arts declined drastically during this time, and art in the provinces followed its own course. A certain folksy charm--naive and utterly unpretentious--compensates for the lack of sophistication. The two women standing behind the seated man and his wife are probably their daughters. The man’s skin is paint...