A Falcon Flying Protectively over the Pharaoh's Head
Middle Kingdom
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 piece here was put together from several relief fragments and features a flying falcon. Two hieroglyphs on the very left are parts of its name "The one from Behdet." Above the bird is a star band and the bottom of a kheker-frieze from the very top of the wall. This piece was originally situated above a depiction of the king, who is often shown protected by a falcon or vulture.
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