Relief of Mourning Women
381–343 B.C.E.
1 of 11
Object Label
This relief sculpture represents three mourners coming from a funeral procession. Each holds the top of her dress in one hand and beats her bare chest with the other. This gesture of mourning in ancient Egypt was often accompanied by loud cries of grief, evident in the open mouth of the woman on the right.
This relief was probably located originally in a tomb chapel. Traces of paint indicate that it would originally have been quite colorful.
This relief was probably located originally in a tomb chapel. Traces of paint indicate that it would originally have been quite colorful.
Caption
Relief of Mourning Women, 381–343 B.C.E.. Limestone, pigment, 11 7/16 x 13 3/8 x 1 3/8 in. (29 x 34 x 3.5 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund, 1998.98. (Photo: Brooklyn Museum)
Frequent Art Questions
I would like more information about this relief.
An image like this would have been important in an ancient Egyptian tomb. The image of mourners carved in stone meant that the deceased would be eternally mourned over, never forgotten.Clutching, like these women are doing, and even tearing at clothing was a common gesture of mourning in ancient Egypt and other ancient Near Eastern cultures.This relief would have been fully painted originally. You can still see black in their hair and, if you look closely at the woman to the left, an indication of fringe or a pattern on her dress.Thank you so muchWhy are the women facing the same direction?
This block is just a fragment from a much larger composition in a tomb or funerary chapel. They would have been facing towards the mummy or a depiction of the deceased.There may have even been more people in the originally composition.
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