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Cornice Block with Relief Depicting the Purification of the Pharaoh

Roman Period
41–68 CE
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 899
This block originally formed part of a screen wall that connected the four front columns and the sidewalls of the temple of Harendotes ("Horus the Avenger") on the island of Philae. The relief represents a purification ritual in which the gods Horus (not preserved) and the ibis-headed Thoth poured water—here represented by streams of ankh (life) and was (dominion) hieroglyphs—over the head of the king. The pharaoh whose head is partially preserved is a Claudian emperor, most probably either Claudius or Nero.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Cornice Block with Relief Depicting the Purification of the Pharaoh
  • Period: Roman Period
  • Reign: probably reign of Cludius or Nero
  • Date: 41–68 CE
  • Geography: From Egypt, 1st Cataract, Philae, Temple of Harendotes
  • Medium: Sandstone
  • Dimensions: H. 44.5 × W. 61 × D. 53.3 cm, 239 kg (17 1/2 × 24 × 21 in., 527 lb.)
  • Credit Line: Rogers Fund, 1911
  • Object Number: 11.154.3
  • Curatorial Department: Egyptian Art

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Cover Image for 3533. Cornice Block with Relief Showing the Baptism of Pharaoh

3533. Cornice Block with Relief Showing the Baptism of Pharaoh

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