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Funerary cone of Menkheperreseneb

Egyptian
New Kingdom, Dynasty 18, reign of Thutmose III
1479–1425 B.C.
Object Place: Egypt, Thebes (Sheikh Abd el-Qurna), Possibly from tomb 86

Medium/Technique Pottery
Dimensions Length x diameter: 14.9 x 7.6 cm (5 7/8 x 3 in.)
Credit Line Hay Collection—Gift of C. Granville Way
Accession Number72.1772
NOT ON VIEW
ClassificationsArchitectural elements

Catalogue Raisonné Davies & MacAdam 100
DescriptionFunerary cone of reddish clay with traces of white priming. Much of the tapering cone element broken off and missing. Head is stamped with hieroglyphic text in four columns, which identify the owner.

Translation of text:

"Osiris
Hereditary Noble, Mayor, Royal Seal-bearer,
High Priest of Amen, Menkheperre-
seneb, True-of-Voice"

Transliteration:
Wsir
Iry-pa.t HAty-a xtmt(y)-bity
Hm-nTr tpy n Imn Mn-xpr-Re-
snb mAa-xrw

Funerary cones were components of a frieze, inserted above the doors of private tombs, particularly in the Theban region. They have been variously interpreted as: name-plates of sorts to identify the tomb owner, decorative memorials, boundary markers for a tomb, dummy bread loaves or meat offerings, symbolic roof beams, or (for the visible circular head) depictions of the sun disk.

For another cone of the same owner see: 72.1779.

Davies and Macadam, A Corpus of Inscribed Egyptian Funerary Cones (1957), type #100.

ProvenanceProbably from Sheikh Abd el-Qurna. By 1836: Robert Hay Collection, Linplum, Scotland; 1863: to his son, Robert James Alexander Hay; 1868-1872: Way Collection, Boston (purchased by Samuel A. Way through London dealers Rollin and Feuardent, 27 Haymarket); 1872: given to the MFA by Samuel's son, C. Granville Way.