Brooklyn Museum: Egyptian, Classical, and Ancient Middle Eastern Art: Relief of Montuhotep III

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Relief of Montuhotep III

Originally this massive limestone slab belonged to the wall of a chapel built for Montuhotep III at Armant. On the far left the king is depicted wearing a ceremonial beard and the Red Crown of Lower Egypt; on the far right he is seen in the royal head cloth known as the nemes. Between these two images we see the goddess Iunyt.

The shrine's decoration probably showed the sed-festival, an ancient ritual of royal renewal traditionally held in the king's thirtieth regnal year. Montuhotep III ruled for only twelve years, so the images probably indicate the king's wish for a reign lasting at least three decades.

Medium: Limestone
Place Found: Armant, Egypt
Dates: ca. 1957-1945 B.C.E.
Dynasty: XI Dynasty
Period: Middle Kingdom
Dimensions: 23 11/16 x 51 9/16 x 4 1/2 in. (60.1 x 131 x 11.5 cm)
Collections: Egyptian, Classical, and Ancient Middle Eastern Art
Museum Location: This item is on view in Egypt Reborn: Art for Eternity, Old Kingdom to 18th Dynasty, Egyptian Galleries, 3rd Floor
Accession Number: 37.16E
Credit Line: Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund
Image: Overall, 37.16E_reference_SL1.jpg. Brooklyn Museum photograph

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Relief of Montuhotep III

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Collections: Egyptian, Classical, and Ancient Middle Eastern Art: Relief of Montuhotep III