Stela of the Overseer of Artisans Irtisen
Returned to lender
This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.This object is not part of The Met collection. It was in the Museum for a special exhibition and has been returned to the lender.
Irtisen was an overseer of artisans, a profession that he praises on this stela, one of the most famous ancient Egyptian documents connected to artistic production. Placing himself among society’s elite, he describes his mastery of the secrets related to hieroglyphic writing, rituals, and magic. He further relates that he knows the poses and proportions of particular types of figures in sculpture and relief and the recipes used to create enduring colors. All this knowledge would be transmitted only to his eldest son. A standard funerary offering scene is depicted below, followed by a recessed shrine, the doors of which have been opened to reveal Irtisen and his wife seated at an offering table.
Irtisen was an overseer of artisans, a profession that he praises on this stela, one of the most famous ancient Egyptian documents connected to artistic production. Placing himself among society’s elite, he describes his mastery of the secrets related to hieroglyphic writing, rituals, and magic. He further relates that he knows the poses and proportions of particular types of figures in sculpture and relief and the recipes used to create enduring colors. All this knowledge would be transmitted only to his eldest son. A standard funerary offering scene is depicted below, followed by a recessed shrine, the doors of which have been opened to reveal Irtisen and his wife seated at an offering table.
Artwork Details
- Title: Stela of the Overseer of Artisans Irtisen
- Period: Middle Kingdom
- Dynasty: Dynasty 11
- Reign: Mentuhotep II
- Date: ca. 2030-2000 B.C.
- Geography: From Egypt, Abydos
- Medium: Limestone
- Dimensions: 46 1/4 × 22 1/16 in. (117.5 × 56 cm)
- Credit Line: Paris, Louvre Museum, Departement des Antiquités égyptiennes
- Curatorial Department: Egyptian Art