Stela with Sculptor’s “Signature”
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Object Label
Unlike nearly every other work of ancient Egyptian art, this stela is signed by the artist. The deeply cut inscription beneath the lower register names “the sculptor Nefertem.” He was probably allowed to add his name as compensation for his work, thus perpetuating his memory for eternity.
Caption
Stela with Sculptor’s “Signature”, ca. 1836–1759 B.C.E.. Limestone, 20 1/4 x 12 3/16 x 3 7/16 in., 40.5 lb. (51.5 x 31 x 8.8 cm, 18.37kg). Brooklyn Museum, Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund, 37.1347E. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 37.1347E_view2_PS9.jpg)
Title
Stela with Sculptor’s “Signature”
Date
ca. 1836–1759 B.C.E.
Dynasty
late Dynasty 12
Period
Middle Kingdom
Geography
Reportedly from: Saqqara, Egypt
Medium
Limestone
Classification
Dimensions
20 1/4 x 12 3/16 x 3 7/16 in., 40.5 lb. (51.5 x 31 x 8.8 cm, 18.37kg)
Credit Line
Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund
Accession Number
37.1347E
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
What were stelae used for?
By definition, a stela is a slab of stone or wood with images and/or writing on it. This stela and most of the others you’ll see in our galleries were used in tombs as representation of offerings to the dead and a way to ask for more.The people on the right are giving the offerings. The people on the left are receiving them. You can even see them sniffing their flowers!
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