Returned to lender The Met accepts temporary loans of art both for short-term exhibitions and for long-term display in its galleries.
Stela of the Butler Senebef
Middle Kingdom
Not on view
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.
The inscription on this stela states that Senebef would smell the incense emanating from the nearby temple of Osiris, perhaps through the stela’s peculiar window skillfully carved in the form of a large, openwork ankh (life) hieroglyph. The spell next to the window magically uncovered Senebef’s face, allowing him to see a solar god in the sky. This cleverly designed stela thus appealed to the owner’s senses of sight and smell, both bringing him closer to the divine presence.
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