15929965800001312637261000Standard Recordobject-51004170974812417717097445220001709748121215fitz-onlineadlib-object-51004https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/510049517424f-8e57-3d6a-b6dd-f946bb343a8d11referenceterm-43046adlib-term-430462ec2ec37-9c6b-390d-9eaf-ad274ae97d15architectural elementAntiquitiesLimestone stela in the form of a false door belonging to a woman named Hemi-Ra. The door comprises two pairs of door jambs inscribed with vertical columns of hieroglyphic text, a lintel, or crossbar, with horizontal rows of hieroglyphic text and a rectangular panel with apertures at the top which is broken, but would have once been T-shaped. There is also a narrow, central niche in the middle of the door and a drum at the top (just below the lintel). The top part of the door is missing, but would have originally comprised a cavetto cornice with torus moulding and upper lintel. Hemi-Ra is shown multiple times on the door and past scholarly literature, particularly by Henry Fischer (1976), has suggested that the figures represent the female owner at three different phases of her life: as a young girl (the seated figures at the bottom of the inner jambs), a woman 'in her prime' (on the lintel and central panel) and as an older woman with frontal, drooping breasts (on the outer jambs). However, interdisciplinary research undertaken by the Fitzwilliam Museum between 2019 and 2021 indicates that the stela has been modified, probably at least twice. This is evident through changes in patina in the stone, tool marks and deeper carving in two key areas of the door - the central panel, and all of the upper bodies and the whole proper right outer figure of the figures depicted at the bottom of the jambs. These areas are also devoid of any red pigment, while red pigment can be detected elsewhere on the door - suggesting the door was once completely painted red to imitate the more expensive stone granite, and that the re-carving took place at some point after the pigment had faded. The pose and attire of the figures at the bottom of the door, which are more normally associated with male figures, is also suggestive that the door was originally carved for a man.
In terms of the door's provenance, Fischer attributes the door to Busiris in the Nile Delta based on the epithet 'one revered of Hathor, the lady of Busiris'. However, examination of this title in association with the other inscriptions, and the door's architectural and stylistic properties, would point to a provenance of the Memphite nome instead.
Publication of this stela is currently underway. For more information, see also: https://beta.fitz.ms/objects-and-artworks/highlights/E16909E.6.19091accession numberE.6.190951004priref51004oldadmincategorySS202220222022-07-28Online 3D model43eee97184f347ada8eb39be4f83735a202220222022-07-28Online 3D modelb723b6d387214d3983ad4bb9e7c6aab2urihttps://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/51004https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/51004vertical text, hieroglyphs facing to rightleft jambsincisedHtp di nsw in wsir nb Ddw t Hnqt xt nb(t) wabt prrt Hr sAT n wsir m Ddw n imAXt Hmi-ra rn.s nfr rxt nsw Hm(t) nTr Hwt-Hr Hmi i anxw tpyw tA swAt.sn Hr wAt tn Ddt.sn t wAb pw n wsir iw n imAxtwy Hmiinscriptionvertical text, hieroglyphs facing to leftright jambsincised[Htp di] inpw xnty sH nTr imy wt nb tA Dsr prt-xrw m wAg-Hb DHwty-Hb n imAxwt Hmi-ra rn.s nfr Hmi [ink iri] Htp sbi imAxHsyt nt it.s //rt [mut].s imAxt nt Hwt-Hr nbt Ddwinscriptionhieroglyphs facing to rightoffering scene, in front of deceasedincisedimAxwt Hmiinscription3 horizontal rows of hieroglyphs facing to the rightpanel below offering sceneincisedimAxwt xr ptH skr imAxwt xr wsir nb Ddw imAxwt xr inpw nb qrstinscriptionhiergolyphs facing to rightpanel below offering sceneincisedrxt nsw Hm(t) nTr Hwt-Hr Hmi-ra rn.s nfr Hmiinscriptionvertical columns of hieroglyphs facing to rightcentral jambs, leftincisedsDA.s Hr wAwt nfr(w)t nt Hrty-nTr m imAxwt nt nTr-aA Hmi-ra rn.s nfr Hmi ir sS nb swAt.f Hr is pn Ddt.f t Hnqt n nbt is pn imAxt (Hmi-ra rn.s nfr Hmi)inscriptionvertical columns of hieroglyphs, facing to leftcentral jambs, rightincisedink rdit t n Hqr Hbs n Hawy Hsyt nt hi.s Hmi-ra ir r[mT] nb Ddt.sn t n Hmi m is.s pn ink Ax iqr n rdi.i Dw n.sninscriptionreferenceagent-149638adlib-agent-1496387376d833-d0a7-3be0-916e-9c892b7a24d8The Fitzwilliam Museum190919091909boughtreferenceterm-112897adlib-term-11289704a3a674-efe8-3acb-b344-81e9c31b9a90Memphis ? Egypt21702170BC2170-2170202512025BC2025-2025referenceterm-12451adlib-term-124510b13b058-7fc1-3294-85d9-a312ac575a329th Dynastyreferenceterm-12455adlib-term-12455409cbcd1-e77d-3fba-a1f6-61412f2722ff10th Dynastyreferenceterm-12457adlib-term-1245795447ae4-f294-3205-a30c-f7241d4db80fFirst Intermediate periodreferenceterm-37711adlib-term-377117e71289b-f880-3564-bdb3-e8a2980874dclimestoneHeightcm82.5Thicknesscm8Widthcm63.5referencemedia-20398adlib-media-2039861af26bb-cf61-314f-93fa-ca932ecfd25djpegant/ant7/E_6_1909.jpg1heightpixels760widthpixels62417024102687771imagejpegant/ant7/mid_E_6_1909.jpg1heightpixels609widthpixels50017024102687771imagejpegant/ant7/E_6_1909.jpg1heightpixels760widthpixels62417024102687771imagejpegant/ant7/preview_E_6_1909.jpg1heightpixels304widthpixels25017024102687771image0media
imagereferencemedia-20400adlib-media-204002ee09b7b-4298-3bb9-9ceb-8325d0ad6730jpegant/ant20/E_6_1909_282_29.jpg1heightpixels760widthpixels61616162472235091imagejpegant/ant20/mid_E_6_1909_282_29.jpg1heightpixels617widthpixels50016162472235091imagejpegant/ant20/E_6_1909_282_29.jpg1heightpixels760widthpixels61616162472235091imagejpegant/ant20/preview_E_6_1909_282_29.jpg1heightpixels308widthpixels25016162472235091image1media
imagereferenceterm-61686adlib-term-616868717566e-65db-336c-bcb1-69da2ee0b5bestelaereferenceterm-55698adlib-term-5569897f60a75-dd15-3bf3-b36e-16176cfee7b7false doorreferencepublication-4173adlib-publication-4173c4af2f7c-6ed4-3ee4-bcf4-b2d1210f26b5Egyptian Art [1995]14-16referencepublication-5258adlib-publication-5258462adc75-aff8-3f65-a0d6-16374c38c126Stelae from Egypt and Nubia in the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge, c. 3000BC - AD1150see also figs. 8-95-6,14-24referencepublication-200002338adlib-publication-20000233861a1869a-2365-3388-a3dd-aadc3bc0aac4Some early monuments from Busiris, in the Egyptian Deltawith fig. 571-72referencepublication-200002183adlib-publication-200002183bef97bb5-8091-39be-933f-1479668ab539Forever Young? The representation of older and ageing women in ancient Egyptian artreferenceterm-61686adlib-term-616868717566e-65db-336c-bcb1-69da2ee0b5bestelaestelaereferenceterm-26428adlib-term-264284241dff6-5def-3e96-a399-e72d83a0b591carvedLimestone false door stelaobject
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