On view
Ancient Mediterranean Art
Stela of the official Si-Mut,
early 13th century BCE
Egyptian
New Kingdom, 19th Dynasty, ca. 1295–1186 BCE, ca. 1550–1070 BCE
y1937-259
This fragmentary relief marked the tomb of an official named Si-Mut. Between two rows of text is an image of the deceased kneeling before a table filled with offerings, including bread, poultry, beef, vegetables, and flowers. Behind Si-Mut is a smaller figure, meant to depict either a child or an attendant. To the left side of the image are two deities who receive the offerings: Hathor, with the sign for the West on her head, stands behind Osiris, god of the Underworld, seated on a throne. The eyes of the god Horus hover at the top of the stele together with the hieroglyph for water, the shen symbol that denotes eternity and permanence, and an incised image of the funerary god Anubis. The inscription along the top of the stele features a hymn to Osiris while the text below recounts a prayer to Osiris, Hathor, and Anubis.
Information
Title
Stela of the official Si-Mut
Dates
early 13th century BCE
Medium
Limestone
Dimensions
35.0 x 34.8 x 6.0 cm (13 3/4 x 13 11/16 x 2 5/16 in.)
Credit Line
Museum Purchase, Carl Otto von Kienbusch, Jr. Memorial Collection
Object Number
y1937-259
Place Excavated
Africa, Egypt, Thebes
Inscription
Simpson's translation (some variations with the others, q.v.):
"Osiris, lord of the sacred land. Hathor, mistress of [the West]. Giving praise to Osiris, Wen-nefer, ruler of eternity, divine king, lord of the lords, ruler of the living, that he may cause me to receive senu-cakes which come forth, [in] your [presence], my mouth being filled with sustenance of your [giving], May you flourish (?), vegetables (?) [.....], the servitor, Nebi-meni."
Lower section: "The Osiris [deceased] servitor of Amen, Si-Mut, vindicated [or "justified," i.e. deceased]; his mother, the chantress of Amen, Yepay, the vindicated. An offering which the king gives to Re-Horakhty, Osiris, first of the West, hathor, leader of [the Necropolis], and Anubis who is in Wet, that they may give [an invocation offering of bread, beer, cattle, and fowl], a cool libation, wine, milk (?), 'welcome (?) [in peace'...], the perfume of Kehbit which comes forth [from.......]. Take to yourself the cool libation [.....], pure [.....], [.......]."
Culture
Period
Materials
Purchased by the Museum in 1937.
- Paintings by Lawrence and Gainsborough, George de Forest Brush, Homer D. Martin, Alexander H. Wyant and other artists: Chinese, Japanese, Persian, and Indian objects of art, arms and armor, ancient glass ...: property of the estate of the late George D. Pratt ... : public sale, January 15 and 16 at 2 p.m., (New York : American Art Association, Anderson Galleries, 1937)., no. 412
-
The Carl Otto von Kienbusch, Jr. Memorial Collection (Princeton: Princeton University Art Museum, 1956)
, cat. no. 3 - Alan R. Schulman, "Some remarks on the military background of the Amarna period", Journal of the American Research Center in Egypt 3 (1964): p. 51-69.
- William K. Simpson, "Varia Aegyptiaca in American collections", Mitteilungen des Deutschen Archäologischen Instituts, Abteilung Kairo 37 (1981), p. 438-441
- Allen Rosenbaum and Francis F. Jones, Selections from The Art Museum, Princeton University, (Princeton, NJ: The Art Museum, Princeton University, 1986), p. 29 (illus.)
- J. Michael Padgett, "The collections of ancient art: the early years," in "An art nuseum for Princeton: the early years", special issue, Record of the Art Museum, Princeton University 55, no. 1/2, (1996): p. 107-124., p. 117, fig. 11
