Fragment of an Alabaster Stele of the Lord of the House Ameny from Abydos

Culture: Egyptian

Period: Middle Kingdom, 12th dynasty, 1991-1802 B.C.

Material: Alabaster

Dimensions: 30,5 cm x 31 cm

Price: Sold

Ref: 1369

Provenance: Belgian private collection Tom Desmet, acquired on 26 June 1967 from Dumoulins et Meulemans in Brussels, Belgium. Thence with Galerie Moderne Brussels on 13 May 2015. With a provenance confirmation paper by Galerie Moderne of 4 December 2020. Last in an English collection.

Condition: Fragment without any restoration.

Description: Fragment of an alabaster stele from the temple of Osiris in Abydos. The engraved relief depicts on top two diligently worked out hieroglyph lines. They mention the offering formula and the owner's name, "Lord of the house Ameny". In the offering formula "Osiris, the great God, the Lord from Abydos" is asked to present on behalf of the donor of the stele an "offering" of "bread and beer, meat and poultry, linen and alabaster and all good and pure things of which a god can live with, for the Ka of Ameny". To overcome death through Osiris the believers wanted to be buried the same way Osiris was buried in Abydos. Since the end of the Old Kingdom life and death of Osiris, but especially his resurrection provided hope for believers to overcome death. Therefore private people tried in increasing numbers to immediately be part in the meaning of Abydos and the holiness of the place. They were buried in the necropolis or erected cenotaphs, small chapels, where steles could be placed for the whole family. In the present stele the "Lord of the house" Ameny is depicted on a stool with lion feet and short backrest. He holds his arms with the flat hand away from his body. In front of him is the dining table with round and long loafs of bread, goose and beef ham. Mounted.