Advanced Search 
False door of Kha
Egyptian
Old Kingdom, probably late Dynasty 6
2288–2170 B.C.
Findspot: Egypt, Giza, tomb G 7211
Medium/Technique
Limestone
Dimensions
Overall: 104 x 88 x 11.5cm (40 15/16 x 34 5/8 x 4 1/2in.)
Case (painted wooden wall case with plex bonnet): 198.8 x 121.9 x 83.8 cm (78 1/4 x 48 x 33 in.)
Case (plex bonnet): 123.8 x 121.9 x 83.8 cm (48 3/4 x 48 x 33 in.)
Case (painted wooden wall case with plex bonnet): 198.8 x 121.9 x 83.8 cm (78 1/4 x 48 x 33 in.)
Case (plex bonnet): 123.8 x 121.9 x 83.8 cm (48 3/4 x 48 x 33 in.)
Credit Line
Harvard University—Boston Museum of Fine Arts Expedition
Accession Number25.1514
CollectionsAncient Egypt, Nubia and the Near East
ClassificationsArchitectural elements – False doors
This false door, representing a double door through which the deceased could pass between the tomb and the afterlife, was cut for a nobleman and Overseer of Craftsmen named Kha. The panel at the top shows Kha seated at a table filled with conical loaves of bread. Kha also appears on the inner and outer jambs of the door, along with prayers to the funerary god Anubis and requests for visitors to recite a wish for offerings on Kha's behalf. On the right inner jamb, Kha raises his arms in praise of Djedefhor, a 4th dynasty prince who was later revered as a sage. The tall, slender figures are typical of the sculptural style of dynasty 6.
DescriptionFalse door with upper lintel missing. The rectangular panel at the top shows the deceased seated at a table of bread. The text on the lintel below gives his name and titles. Two jambs on either side of the door bear images of Kha with offering formulas written in vertical lines of hieroglyphic text.
ProvenanceFrom Giza, tomb G 7211. Excavated by the Harvard University-Museum of Fine Arts Expedition; 1925: assigned to the MFA by the government of Egypt.
(Accession Date: March 27, 1987)
(Accession Date: March 27, 1987)