Architrave Relief (Primary Title)

Unknown (Artist)

2500–2180 BC
Egyptian
limestone
Place Made,Egypt
Overall: 18 3/4 × 43 1/2 × 2 7/8 in. (47.625 × 110.49 × 7.303 cm)
51.19.10

Fragments 51.19.10 and 58.9 are from a single relief, probably from a private funerary chapel. The carving is in sunk relief, a technique typically used for exterior reliefs where the sunlight could create dramatic shadows. Inscriptions identify the figures as alternating representations of Ihy, “judge and border official, the overseer of the Great Hall,” and Irenra, “judge and border official of a preeminent place.” The damaged inscription across the top contains a prayer for a long, happy life and a peaceful journey after death.

5-6
Old Kingdom (Dynasties 5-6)
Adolph D. and Wilkins C. Williams Fund
Image released via Creative Commons CC-BY-NC

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