An Egyptian wood polychrome and gilt stele for Meresamun
Saite Period, circa 650 B.C.
Painted in turquoise, green, red and yellow over gesso with gilded details, a winged sun-disc beneath the rounded top, a central vignette with five figures below, the deceased woman Meresamun is shown on the right adoring a falcon-headed sun-god protected by a giant snake, with Osiris, Isis and Nephthys standing behind him, the goddesses with their names above, with four rows of text below 'words spoken by the Osiris, the residence singer of Amun, Meresamun, true of voice, daughter of Paybes, true of voice, her mother the lady of the house Ta-amun-pa-ihay true of voice. Hail to you Osiris (foremost) of the west, great god, Lord of Abydos. Grant a safe journey', 13½in (34.5cm) long, framed
Saite Period, circa 650 B.C.
Painted in turquoise, green, red and yellow over gesso with gilded details, a winged sun-disc beneath the rounded top, a central vignette with five figures below, the deceased woman Meresamun is shown on the right adoring a falcon-headed sun-god protected by a giant snake, with Osiris, Isis and Nephthys standing behind him, the goddesses with their names above, with four rows of text below 'words spoken by the Osiris, the residence singer of Amun, Meresamun, true of voice, daughter of Paybes, true of voice, her mother the lady of the house Ta-amun-pa-ihay true of voice. Hail to you Osiris (foremost) of the west, great god, Lord of Abydos. Grant a safe journey', 13½in (34.5cm) long, framed
Sold for
£13,750
inc. premium
Footnotes
- Provenance:
Joseph Klein Collection, formed in New York between 1941 and 1980. Thence by descent.
Literature:
A wooden stele in the Louvre dated to the late 25th Dynasty is for a woman with the same name and title but different parents. The title in particular appears to be exceptionally rare in the literature. Presumably this Meresamun is the granddaughter or niece of the subject of the Louvre stele. Cf. P. Munro, Die Spat-Agyptischen Totenstelen. Agyptische Forschurgen 25, Gluckstadt, 1973, p.193.
Category: Antiquities
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