Funerary stele with a seated man and two standing figures, Early Hellenistic, late 4th–early 3rd century b.c.
Greek; from the Soldiers' Tomb, Ibrahimieh necropolis, Alexandria, excavated 1884
Remains of a painted inscription
Limestone, paint
Technical Glossary
Greek; from the Soldiers' Tomb, Ibrahimieh necropolis, Alexandria, excavated 1884
Remains of a painted inscription
Limestone, paint
H. 29 1/8 in. (74 cm)
Gift of Darius Ogden Mills, 1904 (04.17.2)
A man wearing a yellow robe is seated on a stool at center. He clasps the hand of a woman standing before him dressed in a pale robe and mantle. Another man wearing a purple robe stands behind him. A shift in the background color from gray to purple focuses the composition on the joined hands of the man and woman while additionally aiding the legibility of the figures.
This quiet, intimate scene of final farewell or renewed greeting has close parallels with Greek grave reliefs of the 4th century B.C.
