Relief of Men Presenting Cattle
Egyptian, Classical, Ancient Near Eastern Art
On View: Old Kingdom to 18th Dynasty, Egyptian Galleries, 3rd Floor
In this sculpture in relief, three men bring cattle to the tomb owner, “from the towns of the estate,” as the inscription says. Two of these balding, rustic laborers wear kilts of coarse material, and the other wears nothing at all. A fragmentary scene below shows men bringing cranes, which were penned and raised for food. Artisans carved images of live food animals in tombs to supply the deceased with an eternal source of provisions.
MEDIUM
Limestone
DATES
ca. 2500–2350 B.C.E.
DYNASTY
Dynasty 5
PERIOD
Old Kingdom
ACCESSION NUMBER
49.62
CREDIT LINE
Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund
CATALOGUE DESCRIPTION
Limestone tomb relief, two registers of attendants leading bulls. At bottom, portion of another register of man leading cranes. At right, single column (incomplete) with funerary estate name. Over bulls an inscription, repeated three times.
Condition: Some remains of color. Lower edge undermined in places and must be filled in. A few minor chips.
CAPTION
Relief of Men Presenting Cattle, ca. 2500–2350 B.C.E. Limestone, 20 1/16 x 29 15/16 in. (51 x 76 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund, 49.62. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 49.62_SL3.jpg)
IMAGE
overall, 49.62_SL3.jpg. Brooklyn Museum photograph, 2/27/2015
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RIGHTS STATEMENT
Creative Commons-BY
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What do these “X” shapes represent?
That's actually a pretty common hieroglyph! It stands for "city" and is pronounced "niwt."
The X shapes are meant to be in the form of an intersection of roads! The surrounding circle is read as a protective wall around a settlement.
Oh my god thank you so much for the great response!
No cows, bulls only? Why?
It is possible that there were cows shown being led to the tomb in another part of the decoration not preserved in this block. It is also possible that these bulls are meant to be shown as offerings as beasts of burden or for their association with power rather than as a food source
You can see, for instance, sculptures of Pharaohs wearing bull's tails, like the statue of Senwosret III. Pharaohs would wear bull's tails as a symbol of might and virility.
