Stela of Steward Ptahemsai
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Object Label
Wealthy Egyptians sometimes commissioned unique stelae with representations specific to their personal needs and wishes, but most people could not afford such custom-made funerary equipment. Instead, they selected uninscribed stock pieces with standard representations of men, women, and offerings and had the names of individual family members added after purchase. The owner of this stela held a position comparable to that of a modern butler or house manager. His socioeconomic position suggests that this example was an “off-the-rack” model.
Caption
Stela of Steward Ptahemsai, ca. 1876–1759 B.C.E.. Limestone, 20 1/4 x 11 13/16 x 3 1/8 in. (51.5 x 30 x 8 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund, 37.1345E. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, CUR.37.1345E_erg2.jpg)
Title
Stela of Steward Ptahemsai
Date
ca. 1876–1759 B.C.E.
Dynasty
middle Dynasty 12 to late Dynasty 12
Period
Middle Kingdom
Geography
Reportedly from: Saqqara, Egypt
Medium
Limestone
Classification
Dimensions
20 1/4 x 11 13/16 x 3 1/8 in. (51.5 x 30 x 8 cm)
Credit Line
Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund
Accession Number
37.1345E
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.
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