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Funerary cone of Montuemhat
Egyptian
Late Period, Dynasty 25–26, reigns of Taharqo–Ps
690–610 B.C.
Object Place: Egypt, Thebes (Asasif), Possibly tomb 34
Medium/Technique
Pottery
Dimensions
Height x diameter: 2.2 x 7.9 cm (7/8 x 3 1/8 in.)
Credit Line
Hay Collection—Gift of C. Granville Way
Accession Number72.1788
NOT ON VIEW
CollectionsAncient Egypt, Nubia and the Near East
ClassificationsArchitectural elements
Catalogue Raisonné
Davies & MacAdam 486
DescriptionFunerary cone fragment of light reddish clay; majority of tapering cone end sawed off and missing. Circular stamp on head carries four horizontal bands of hieroglyphic text indentifying the owner. Small chips missing from edges of the head.
Translation of text:
Fourth Prophet of Amen, Mayor
of the City Montuemhat, True-of Voice, son of
the Prophet of Amen, Scribe of the Offering-table of the temple (house) of Amen Mayor of
the City Nes-Ptah, True-of-Voice
Transliteration:
Hm-nTr 4-nw Imn HAty-a
n niwt Mn-T(w)-m-HAt MAa xrw sA n
Hm-nTr Imn sS wdHw pr-Imn HAty-a n
niwt ns-PtH 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.
Davies and Macadam, A Corpus of Inscribed Egyptian Funerary Cones (1957), type #486.
Translation of text:
Fourth Prophet of Amen, Mayor
of the City Montuemhat, True-of Voice, son of
the Prophet of Amen, Scribe of the Offering-table of the temple (house) of Amen Mayor of
the City Nes-Ptah, True-of-Voice
Transliteration:
Hm-nTr 4-nw Imn HAty-a
n niwt Mn-T(w)-m-HAt MAa xrw sA n
Hm-nTr Imn sS wdHw pr-Imn HAty-a n
niwt ns-PtH 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.
Davies and Macadam, A Corpus of Inscribed Egyptian Funerary Cones (1957), type #486.
ProvenanceProbably from Thebes (Asasif), possibly tomb 34. 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.
(Accession date: June 28, 1872)
(Accession date: June 28, 1872)