Fragment of a desert hunt - see 26.3.354-5-related

Middle Kingdom

ca. 2051–2000 B.C.

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 107

Scenes of hunting animals in the desert became a standard part of tomb decoration during the Old Kingdom (see, for example, 08.201.1g, from the Tomb of Raemkai). During the third and into the early second millennium B.C., the Egyptian deserts still had the character of a hilly savannah filled with hardy plants and populated by a multitude of wild animals such as gazelle, antelope, rabbits, hyenas, and the occasional lion or cheetah. Located at the fringes of the floodplain, and thus at the edges of the ordered world, the deserts became symbolic of the chaos that constantly threatened the Egyptian cosmos. By defeating the wild creatures of this liminal area, the king and his elite helped the gods to maintain order over chaos. Only fragments of decoration of Khety's desert hunt (see 26.3.354-5-related) remain, but they provide a glimpse into the lively animal representations seen in a few tombs dating to the beginning of the Middle Kingdom.

Long after Khety's tomb was abandoned, the fine white limestone that lined the entrance corridor was broken up and re-purposed. This piece was partially formed, perhaps into a platter, but was discarded before it was completed.

Artwork Details

Overview

Provenance

References

Title: Fragment of a desert hunt - see 26.3.354-5-related
Period: Middle Kingdom
Dynasty: Dynasty 11
Reign: reign of Mentuhotep II
Date: ca. 2051–2000 B.C.
Geography: From Egypt, Upper Egypt, Thebes, Deir el-Bahri, Tomb of Khety (TT 311, MMA 508), Corridor, MMA excavations, 1922
Medium: Limestone
Dimensions: H. 45 cm (17 11/16 in); W. 35.5 cm (14 in)
Credit Line: Rogers Fund, 1923
Object Number: 23.3.173
Curatorial Department: Egyptian Art

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