Relief, tomb of Khety: sacred objects to be used in Khety’s funeral rituals

Middle Kingdom

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 107

These relief fragments from the tomb of Khety illustrate several exclusively Upper Egyptian ritual objects. The fragments in the lower center depict two blue ointment jars into which flails have been inserted. Together the jar and the flail symbolize the purification of the deceased using sacred oils derived from tree resins that were collected with flail-like instruments. Above the jar is one half of a double bull. Represented between the flails, this animal may have been symbolic of the setting and rising sun. At the far left, traces of fringe from a piece of cloth are visible.

Relief, tomb of Khety: sacred objects to be used in Khety’s funeral rituals, Limestone, paint

Due to rights restrictions, this image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Open Access

As part of the Met's Open Access policy, you can freely copy, modify and distribute this image, even for commercial purposes.

API

Public domain data for this object can also be accessed using the Met's Open Access API.

Relief, tomb of Khety: sacred objects to be used in Khety’s funeral rituals, Limestone, paint
Relief, tomb of Khety: sacred objects to be used in Khety’s funeral rituals, Limestone, paint

This artwork is meant to be viewed from right to left. Scroll left to view more.