Funerary stela of Amenemhat
F Material:
It is made out of painted limestone.
F Discoverer and place ':
It was discovered during the excavations of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, in 1915-16. inside the tomb of Amenemhat which carries no. R4 at Assassif. on the west bank of Thebes.
F Dating:
It dates back to the Middle Kingdom, 11th dynasty, about 2000 B.C.
F Who is Amenemhat?
Amenemhat is one of the high officials who lived during the 11th Dynasty; his name is pronounced in hieroglyphs as "Imn-m-HAt" that means "Amun (is) in the front", his wife is called "ly", his son is called "Antef" and his daughter-in-law is called god "Hapy".
F Introduction about stelae in ancient Egypt:
a- The meaning of stela:
Stela is a slab of stone, wood or any other material that bear an inscription.
b- Kinds of stelae:
There are many types of stelae in ancient Egypt, they are classified into five categories according to the function and place as follows:
§ Boundary Stelae:
This kind of stelae was used to mark or determine the boundaries of a certain city or capital, like the boundary stelae of king Akhenaten, which were used to mark the boundaries of his famous capital Akhe-Aaten, nowadays Tell el-Amarna at Minia governorate.
§ Votive stelae
This type of stelae also called ex-voto stelae; it was usually placed inside sacred places and especially inside temples as a vow for the gods of this temple.
§ Royal or victory stelae:
They were restricted to kings, as they were used to commemorate and record the royal victories, such as the victory steal of King Merenptah well known as "Israel stela".
§ House stelae:
This kind of stelae appeared during the reign of King Akhenaton, l8th Dynasty; it was usually depicted with scenes represent King Akhenaton together with his wife queen Nefertiti accompanied with their daughters, this sort stelae was kept in private chapels inside the Amarna houses.
§ Funerary Stelae:
This type of stelae is considered one of the most important and famous types of stelae in ancient Egypt, in most cases they are carved with a scene represents the deceased or the owner of the stela together with his wife- seated on a long bench and in front of them an offering table piled high with different kinds of offerings is depicted, they were usually accompanied with members of their family.
The funerary stela was usually inscribed with the magical offering formula; or the ''Htp di nswt" formula, to provide the deceased with indispensable offerings in the Afterlife. They had rounded top and sometimes they are rectangular in their shape like our funerary stela of Amenemhat.
F Description:
This stela is rectangular in its shape; it is notable for the freshness of its colour s and the originality of its composition. Instead of the traditional scene of the funerary meal, we see here the two spouses sitting on a long bench with leonine legs painted in black colour , they are shown facing each other holding there son between them in a scene indicating love, affection and intimacy between the married couple on one side and their son on the other side.
The father and son are shown with their legs crossing each other, the Father holds the right hand of his son with his left hand, moreover he embraces him with his right arm and one can see the right hand of the father on the right shoulder of his son, who is also shown embracing his father with his left arm and one can also see his left hand on the right shoulder of his father.
The father is shown with short rounded wig painted in black colour and a thin beard framing his jaw and ends in a goatee, it is painted also in black colour , he also wears a broad necklace around his neck painted in green colour , a short kilt painted in white colour and bracelets.
The son Antef has the same dressing like his father except for the thin beard around the jaw, however the skin of the two men is painted in a reddish-brown colour according to the traditions of ancient Egyptian art.
As for the mother, she is also shown embracing her son with both arms and one can see her left hand on his left shoulder while her right hand is placed on his right forearm. She wears a long tripartite wig painted in black colour, a broad necklace painted in green colour, bracelets and anklets, she is also wearing a long tight fitting dress exposing the details of her body, it reaches down till her shins, it is supported by a single shoulder strap exposing her breasts, her shoulders and chest. Her skin is painted in pale cream colour according to the traditions of ancient Egyptian art.
Between the previous scene and the representation of the daughter-in-law Hapy there is an offering table piled high with different kinds of offerings including onions, vegetables, cuts of meat represented in the front left leg of the bull, in addition to that two loaves of bread are stowed away underneath the offering table.
god Hapy, the wife of Antef and the daughter-in-law of the married couple, stands respectfully on the farmer side of the offering table, on the extreme right of the stela, she is shown on a small scale and dressed the same as ly i.e. she has the same wig, dress and jewellery. Her skin is painted in pale cream colour.
F Hieroglyphic inscriptions:
I-The topmost part of the stela is inscribed with one horizontal line of hieroglyphic signs in sunken reliefs, painted in green colour. This line is set between two incised lines. It is divided into two sections according to the direction of the hieroglyphic signs. This line represents an invocation for food offerings in favour of Amenemhat and his wife ly as follows:
1-The 1st section with hieroglyphic signs facing the left hand side:
Transliteration:
imAxw xr Wsir di.f pr-xrw t Hnqt kAw Apdw n imAxw
Translation:
The honored one in the presence of Osiris, may he give an invocation offerings (consist of) bread, beer, oxen (and) birds or fowls to the honoured one.
2-The 2nd section with hieroglyphic signs facjng_the right hand side:
Transliteration:
pr-xrw t Hnqt kAw Apdw n imAxw Imn-m-HAt n imAxt Iy
Translation:
An Invocation offerings (consist of) bread, beer, oxen (and) birds to the honored one Amenemhat (and) to the honored lady ly.
II- The title and name of the son Antef is inscribed in one short vertical line of hieroglyphic signs in sunken reliefs in front of the head of Amenemhat as follows:
Transliteration:
imAxw Int.f
Translation:
The honoured one, Antef.
III-The titles and name of the wife of Antef (daughter-in-law of Amenemhat and ly), is inscribed in one horizontal line of hieroglyphic signs in sunk reliefs in front other head as follows:
Transliteration:
imAxt snt .f Hpv
Translation:
The honoured lady, his sister, Hapy.
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