Relief fragment with a cobra on the royal head

Middle Kingdom

ca. 2020–2000 B.C.

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 104

The temple of Mentuhotep II at Deir el-Bahri combined innovative building ideas with a relief decoration that was largely based on prototypes from the Old Kingdom pyramid temples in the Memphite area. Utterly destroyed by stone robbers in antiquity, this decoration was preserved in thousands of fragments. The relief fragment here depicts the king himself. Preserved are part of his head and headdress; the protective rearing cobra (uraeus) is at his forehead.

Artwork Details

Overview

Provenance

References

Title: Relief fragment with a cobra on the royal head
Period: Middle Kingdom
Dynasty: Dynasty 11
Reign: reign of Mentuhotep II, later
Date: ca. 2020–2000 B.C.
Geography: From Egypt, Upper Egypt, Thebes, Deir el-Bahri, Temple of Mentuhotep II, Egyptian Exploration Fund excavations, 1905
Medium: Painted indurated limestone
Dimensions: H. 9 7/16 in. (24 cm)
Credit Line: Gift of Egypt Exploration Fund, 1906
Object Number: 06.1231.37
Curatorial Department: Egyptian Art

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