Fragment of the Black Granite Funerary Stele for Onuphrios

Culture: Egyptian

Period: Ptolemaic period, around 250 B.C.

Material: Granite

Dimensions: 39.2 cm x 48 cm

Price: 22 000 Euro

Ref: 1514

Provenance: Private collection of the Egyptologist Frédérique von Känel. Acquired on May 21, 1991 from Daphné Zimmermann Koutoulakis in Geneva. With a copy of the invoice.

Condition: Unrestored. Missing parts on the left side and at the bottom as seen on the picture.

Description: Beautifully worked out, large granite relief, which was used a funerary stele for Onuphrios, whose Egyptian name was Wennefer. The unrestored, on top rounded fragment depicts Onuphrios to the right in the gesture of praying with a long apron. The inscription above him mentions his name and his title. He is called as a scribe and “Hem-netjer” priest, who carried out certain tasks for various gods and kings in the temple. The god Ptah stands opposite him, his body covered, with a tight cap. He holds the was sceptre with both hands. Behind him stands the falcon-headed god of the dead Sokar in human form, holding the was sceptre with his left hand. As the third deity Nefertem stands very far left. The tutelary god and son of Ptah wears a tripartite wig, crowned by his typical lotus blossom, and also holding the was sceptre. The hieroglyphs above the gods are offering formulas to them. The figural depiction is crowned on top by a winged sun disk as the symbol of heaven. See for the type of these black granite reliefs the funerary stele of Thut-sotem in the Walters Art Museum with the accession number 22.124. On a heavy stone base.