Collections: Egyptian, Classical, and Ancient Middle Eastern Art: Stela of Pakhaas

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Stela of Pakhaas

The central vignette here features a unique combination of two types of stela illustration. Normally the deceased is shown offering to Osiris, lord of the underworld, or to another deity. Alternatively, the deceased and his or her spouse receive offerings from their family. At first glance, the stela seems to fit the second category. The dead person, Pakhaas, accompanied by his wife, Nesihor, who stands behind him holding a sistrum, or rattle, enjoys the oblations of his son, Pakhy (a nickname, in effect, Pakhaas, Jr.).

This scene, however, is hardly conventional. Pakhy's censer and Nesihor's sistrum rarely appear in scenes of offerings to humans, and Pakhaas is not depicted as a mortal. The small image of the god Osiris that sits on his knees indicates that Pakhaas has become that god. Pakhy thus becomes Horus, who offers to his dead father, Osiris, and Nesihor is Isis.

• Medium: Limestone, painted
• Possible Place Collected: Thebes, Egypt
• Dates: 2nd-1st century B.C.E.
• Period: Ptolemaic Period
• Dimensions: 14 3/4 x 10 5/8 x 1 5/8 in. (37.5 x 27 x 4.2 cm)
• Collections: Egyptian, Classical, and Ancient Middle Eastern Art
• Museum Location: This item is on view in Egypt Reborn: Art for Eternity, 19th Dynasty to Roman Period, Martha A. and Robert S. Rubin Gallery, 3rd Floor
• Accession Number: 71.37.2
• Credit Line: Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund
• Image: Overall, 71.37.2_transpc003.jpg. Brooklyn Museum photograph
Stela of Pakhaas, 2nd-1st century B.C.E. Limestone, painted, 14 3/4 x 10 5/8 x 1 5/8 in. (37.5 x 27 x 4.2 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund, 71.37.2 (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 71.37.2_transpc003.jpg)