Stela of Lady Horemheb
1 of 2
Object Label
Not all funerary stelae made for women were as modest as this one, which was not carved but decorated only with paint. The stela is shaped like a shrine, with an architectural molding and cornice, and an offering sign consisting of a loaf of bread on a mat. A pair of wedjat-eyes, signifying wholeness and protection, surmounts this composition underneath a short prayer to Osiris, god of the dead, for the “Mistress of the House,” Horemheb.
Caption
Stela of Lady Horemheb, ca. 1938–1759 B.C.E.. Limestone, pigment, 24 7/16 x 15 5/8 x 5 11/16 in. (62 x 39.7 x 14.5 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Museum Collection Fund, 14.669. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, CUR.14.669_erg456.jpg)
Title
Stela of Lady Horemheb
Date
ca. 1938–1759 B.C.E.
Dynasty
Dynasty 12
Period
Middle Kingdom
Geography
Place excavated: Haraga, Egypt
Medium
Limestone, pigment
Classification
Dimensions
24 7/16 x 15 5/8 x 5 11/16 in. (62 x 39.7 x 14.5 cm)
Credit Line
Museum Collection Fund
Accession Number
14.669
Rights
Creative Commons-BY
You may download and use Brooklyn Museum images of this three-dimensional work in accordance with a Creative Commons license. Fair use, as understood under the United States Copyright Act, may also apply. Please include caption information from this page and credit the Brooklyn Museum. If you need a high resolution file, please fill out our online application form (charges apply). For further information about copyright, we recommend resources at the United States Library of Congress, Cornell University, Copyright and Cultural Institutions: Guidelines for U.S. Libraries, Archives, and Museums, and Copyright Watch. For more information about the Museum's rights project, including how rights types are assigned, please see our blog posts on copyright. If you have any information regarding this work and rights to it, please contact copyright@brooklynmuseum.org.
Frequent Art Questions
Tell me more.
This is a relatively simple funerary stela. It was excavated in the tomb of a woman named Horemheb; the inscription includes her name and a request for offerings addressed to the king of the afterlife, Osiris. The Eyes of Horus are symbols of protection and they sit on top of a larger version of the hieroglyph hetep, which can mean offerings.What are these?
These are known as Eyes of Horus or wedjats, they are symbols of protection and health and can also provide a way for the deceased to see. This stela was designed for the tomb of a woman named Horemheb and asks for offerings. The eyes are sitting on top the sign hetep which can also mean offerings.
Have information?
Have information about an artwork? Contact us at