Relief Fragments from a Large Figure of Mentuhotep II
The tomb of Khety, the first recorded royal treasurer of King Mentuhotep II, was situated high up in the cliffs at Deir el-Bahri. It is one of the first non-royal tombs at Thebes in which the reigning king was depicted. There was an image of Mentuhotep II with Khety standing opposite at the back of each of the two niches that flanked the entrance passage just behind the main doorway .
The king holds a staff in his left hand and a mace in his right. The head of the mace is delicately decorated with scales in relief and painted to resemble a vegetal item, perhaps the bulb of a lily. This is, of course, not a weapon but a symbol, possibly of rebirth or of the land of southern Egypt, whose emblem was the lily. The royal face with its folds beside the nostrils and full-lipped mouth is well known from other representations of this king (see, for instance, 26.3.29).
The king holds a staff in his left hand and a mace in his right. The head of the mace is delicately decorated with scales in relief and painted to resemble a vegetal item, perhaps the bulb of a lily. This is, of course, not a weapon but a symbol, possibly of rebirth or of the land of southern Egypt, whose emblem was the lily. The royal face with its folds beside the nostrils and full-lipped mouth is well known from other representations of this king (see, for instance, 26.3.29).
Artwork Details
- Title: Relief Fragments from a Large Figure of Mentuhotep II
- Period: Middle Kingdom
- Dynasty: Dynasty 11
- Reign: reign of Mentuhotep II
- Date: ca. 2051–2000 B.C.
- Geography: From Egypt, Upper Egypt, Thebes, Deir el-Bahri, Tomb of Khety (TT 311, MMA 508), MMA excavations, 1922–23/1926–27
- Medium: Limestone, paint
- Credit Line: Rogers Fund, 1923
- Object Number: 26.3.354-8-related
- Curatorial Department: Egyptian Art
More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
ca. 2051–2000 B.C.
ca. 2051–2000 B.C.
ca. 2010–2000 B.C.
ca. 2030–2000 B.C.
656–650 BC
Research Resources
The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.
To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.
Feedback
We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.