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Source Description

These two (together with Walters 22.100) well-preserved painted relief sculptures originally belonged to a depiction of a procession of gods, who represented the 42 nomes, or regions, of Egypt. They once decorated the lower part of the southeast wall of the First Hall, containing eight columns, within a temple dedicated to the god Osiris, built at Abydos by Ramesses II. The lower portion of both figures remains in place in the Ramesses temple, where they are exposed to the elements. The reliefs shown here, however, have retained their vivid color. The deities bring offerings for the cult of Osiris in Ramesses' name. Their faces follow the portrait style of Ramesses II, with oval eyes, slightly hollowed eyelids, a small mouth, and a prominent, beaked nose. Note the remains of the hieroglyph above each figure's head, indicating that he or she is the personification of a region. The raised area of these nome-signs retains red pigment. A portion of the abundant offerings the male deity bears is preserved. His blue skin associates him with the forces of creation. Original pigments also include yellow on the female deity's face, blue on her wig, and light green on the plant stalks she holds in her right hand.

Scholar Source Context

Document identity
localId
696
label
Fragment in Sunk Relief of Female Deity Bearing Offerings
core
obj
dtoType
sculpture
pageCount
2
Source metadata
id
696
contentType
sculpture
stage
normalized
title
Fragment in Sunk Relief of Female Deity Bearing Offerings
description
These two (together with Walters 22.100) well-preserved painted relief sculptures originally belonged to a depiction of a procession of gods, who represented the 42 nomes, or regions, of Egypt. They once decorated the lower part of the southeast wall of the First Hall, containing eight columns, within a temple dedicated to the god Osiris, built at Abydos by Ramesses II. The lower portion of both figures remains in place in the Ramesses temple, where they are exposed to the elements. The reliefs shown here, however, have retained their vivid color. The deities bring offerings for the cult of Osiris in Ramesses' name. Their faces follow the portrait style of Ramesses II, with oval eyes, slightly hollowed eyelids, a small mouth, and a prominent, beaked nose. Note the remains of the hieroglyph above each figure's head, indicating that he or she is the personification of a region. The raised area of these nome-signs retains red pigment. A portion of the abundant offerings the male deity bears is preserved. His blue skin associates him with the forces of creation. Original pigments also include yellow on the female deity's face, blue on her wig, and light green on the plant stalks she holds in her right hand.
provenance
Dikran Kelekian, New York and Paris, [date and mode of acquisition unknown] [as from Deir el-Bahri]; Henry Walters, Baltimore, 1912, by purchase; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.
date
ca. 1270 BCE (New Kingdom, 19th dynasty, reign of Ramesses II)
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
genreSpecific
Sculpture
reliefs
sculpture
imageCount
2
pageCount
2
source
import
dimensions
units
cm
width
28
height
32
depth
5.5
dimensionsRaw
11 x 12 5/8 x 2 3/16 in. (28 x 32 x 5.5 cm)
style
Ramesside
Source extras
cul
Egyptian
inscriptions
[Transcription] ...n nb t3wy (Wsr-m3't-r'); [Translation] for the lord of the two lands
Usermaatre (Ramesses II)
dynasty
19th Dynasty
reign
Ramesses II (1279-1213 BC)
med
limestone with paint
creator_ids
6182
collection_ids
EGY
exhibition_ids
none
Page inventory
seq
1
type
photo
mediaId
75498a785da6147a
hasOcr
no
hasDescription
no
seq
2
type
photo
mediaId
0ff46277ff7c8770
hasOcr
no
hasDescription
no