Relief of Amun, Ahmose-Nefertari, and King Amunhotep I
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Object Label
This private stela depicts Queen Ahmose- Nefertari with her son—the second king of the Eighteenth Dynasty—Amunhotep I, and the god Amun seated. Ahmose-Nefertari held the important title of God’s Wife of Amun. Because Amun was believed to be the father of the ruling pharaoh,Amunhotep I and his mother comprised the god’s earthly family. Both Ahmose-Nefertari and Amunhotep I were widely worshipped at Thebes in the Eighteenth Dynasty and for many centuries thereafter. So popular was a festival dedicated to Amunhotep I that the seventh month was named for it in both Coptic and Arabic.
Caption
Relief of Amun, Ahmose-Nefertari, and King Amunhotep I, ca. 1295–1190 B.C.E.. Limestone, pigment, 30 13/16 x 24 1/8 x 2 7/16 in. (78.3 x 61.2 x 6.2 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of the Ernest Erickson Foundation, Inc., 86.226.25. (Photo: Brooklyn Museum)
Title
Relief of Amun, Ahmose-Nefertari, and King Amunhotep I
Date
ca. 1295–1190 B.C.E.
Dynasty
Dynasty 19
Period
New Kingdom
Geography
Possible place collected: Thebes, Egypt
Medium
Limestone, pigment
Classification
Dimensions
30 13/16 x 24 1/8 x 2 7/16 in. (78.3 x 61.2 x 6.2 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of the Ernest Erickson Foundation, Inc.
Accession Number
86.226.25
Frequent Art Questions
What is a stela -- private or public ?
A stela is a blanket term for any upright stone or wooden slab with a design, illustration or writing on it. This stela which depicts Queen Ahmose-Nefertari and the god Amun was private. Private in this context usually means that it was owned by a private individual and not a royal (ie public) figure. Though there are many examples of royal stelae in our collection.Do you know what the sign in her hand is symbolizing?
That symbol is an ankh, the ancient Egyptian hieroglyph for "life."Thank you!
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