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Stela of Hori

Egyptian, Classical, Ancient Near Eastern Art

At the top of this stela, the priest Hori kneels before a ram-headed lion inscribed “Amun-Re, Lord of the thrones of the Two Lands [Egypt] who is in front of Amara West.” The composite animal, wearing a crown of ostrich feathers adorned with cobras, symbolizes this god.

Composite animals were among the first of Egyptian artists’ creations and continued for four thousand years as integral to art and religion. By combining the ram and lion, the fertility of the one and the strength of the other were emphasized in the god Amun.
CULTURES Nubian; Egyptian
MEDIUM Sandstone
DATES ca. 1292–1190 B.C.E
DYNASTY late Dynasty 19, or later
PERIOD New Kingdom
DIMENSIONS 19 3/16 x 14 x 3 in., 47.5 lb. (48.8 x 35.6 x 7.6 cm, 21.55kg)  (show scale)
ACCESSION NUMBER 38.544
CREDIT LINE Gift of the Egypt Exploration Society
CATALOGUE DESCRIPTION The stela is of conventional form with round top. There are 7 registers of horizontal hieroglyphs on the face while the lunette is occupied by a relief of a recumbent ram-headed sphinx before whom a kneeling man worships. The sphinx wears an elaborate crown with two feathers flanked by a pair of uraei wearing sun disks. Over the sphinx are two vertical registers of hieroglyphs behind the man. There is also a long vertical register of hieroglyphs on each side of the stela. The back is very roughly hewn. The workmanship is average, the sandstone is the typical coarse Nubian sandstone which has weathered to some extent on the face of the stela. The inscription is said to record an agreement between a mother and her son and daughter, the son being a priest in the temple. The children agreed to provide for the mother in old age in return for which she turned over to them her property. Condition: The lower right corner is broken but is practically intact. The lower part of the rear of the stela has broken loose but has been replaced and is practically intact.
MUSEUM LOCATION This item is not on view
CAPTION Nubian. Stela of Hori, ca. 1292–1190 B.C.E. Sandstone, 19 3/16 x 14 x 3 in., 47.5 lb. (48.8 x 35.6 x 7.6 cm, 21.55kg). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of the Egypt Exploration Society, 38.544. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum (Gavin Ashworth,er), 38.544_Gavin_Ashworth_photograph.jpg)
IMAGE overall, 38.544_Gavin_Ashworth_photograph.jpg. Brooklyn Museum photograph (Gavin Ashworth, photographer), 2012
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RIGHTS STATEMENT Creative Commons-BY
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