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False Door of the Royal Sealer Neferiu

Old Kingdom–First Intermediate Period
ca. 2150–2010 B.C.
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 103
Egyptians believed that the soul of the deceased could freely enter and exit the tomb through a "false door," which was characterized by a recessed surface with a symbolic entrance in the center. By the early Middle Kingdom, the false door design was combined with other elements on rectangular stelae. This First Intermediate Period monument exemplifies the beginning of that process. The texts inscribed on the jambs flanking the double door proclaim the owner’s good deeds and accomplishments.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: False Door of the Royal Sealer Neferiu
  • Period: Old Kingdom–First Intermediate Period
  • Dynasty: Dynasty 8–11
  • Date: ca. 2150–2010 B.C.
  • Geography: From Egypt; Probably from Northern Upper Egypt, Dendera area
  • Medium: Limestone, paint
  • Dimensions: H. 115.5 cm (45 1/2 in.); W. 67.3 cm (26 1/2 in.); D. 12.6 cm (4 15/16 in.)
  • Credit Line: Gift of J. Pierpont Morgan, 1912
  • Object Number: 12.183.8
  • Curatorial Department: Egyptian Art

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