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Relief of Khamwasemen and His Wife Seated at the Table of Offerings with Standing Priest

Egyptian, Classical, Ancient Near Eastern Art

In this relief, the deceased and his wife sit before an offering table while a priest stands opposite them reciting a prayer inscribed in hieroglyphs below. Six women with an uncertain relationship to the deceased sit behind the priest. They are dressed for a feast and perhaps share in the offerings. Middle-ranking officials included many relatives and friends in their tombs as a way of pooling limited resources.
MEDIUM Limestone
  • Reportedly From: Lower Egypt, Egypt
  • DATES ca. 1292-1075 B.C.E.
    DYNASTY Dynasty 19 to Dynasty 20
    PERIOD New Kingdom, Ramesside Period
    DIMENSIONS 29 x 43 x 7 1/2 in., 520 lb. (73.7 x 109.2 x 19.1 cm, 235.87kg)  (show scale)
    ACCESSION NUMBER 37.35E
    CREDIT LINE Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund
    CATALOGUE DESCRIPTION Limestone sunk relief. On left, deceased and wife seated before elector priest. On right, two registers of kneeling mourning women, each with three figures. Below, three rows of inscription. Raised molding on either side of the scene, also bears inscription.
    MUSEUM LOCATION This item is not on view
    CAPTION Relief of Khamwasemen and His Wife Seated at the Table of Offerings with Standing Priest, ca. 1292-1075 B.C.E. Limestone, 29 x 43 x 7 1/2 in., 520 lb. (73.7 x 109.2 x 19.1 cm, 235.87kg). Brooklyn Museum, Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund, 37.35E. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 37.35E_PS1.jpg)
    IMAGE overall, 37.35E_PS1.jpg. Brooklyn Museum photograph, 2007
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    RIGHTS STATEMENT Creative Commons-BY
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