Egypt, New Kingdom, 18th Dynasty, ca. 1500 BCE. A funerary cone inscribed: "The venerated one in the presence of Osiris, the hereditary prince Amunhotep called Huy, that celebrity throughout the land, son of the dignitary Hapu." Funerary cones, representing the ends of chapel roof support beams, were traditionally inserted in rows (their flat ends facing outward) above the mud brick entrances of the superstructures of non-royal tombs in Thebes. Comes with custom stand. Size: 5.35" L x 2.3" W x 2.7" H (13.6 cm x 5.8 cm x 6.9 cm); height on stand: 3.2" (8.1 cm)

Made of fired Nile mud, cones like these are some of our earliest written records. Most are found in the Theban Necropolis in Upper Egypt and the surrounding area, where the tradition seems to have been particularly strong.

See also: M.F.L. Macadam (ed.) "A Corpus of Inscribed Egyptian Funerary Cones", (Oxford 1957). Also Teeter, E. "Scarabs, Scaraboids, Seals and Seal Impressions from Medinet Habu" Oriental Institute, for the translation.

Provenance: Ex-Private New York Collection; Ex-collection of the late Dr. Ulrich Muller, Switzerland; acquired between 1968 & 1978.

All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.

A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.

We ship worldwide to most countries and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience.

#120896

Missing its pointed end; with inscription clear and easy to read.