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Funerary cone of Neferhotep and Meryre
Egyptian
New Kingdom, Dynasty 18–20
1550–1070 B.C.
Medium/Technique
Pottery
Dimensions
Length x diameter: 25.4 x 7.6 cm (10 x 3 in.)
Credit Line
Hay Collection—Gift of C. Granville Way
Accession NumberRES.72.342
NOT ON VIEW
CollectionsAncient Egypt, Nubia and the Near East
ClassificationsArchitectural elements
Catalogue Raisonné
Davies & MacAdam 291
DescriptionFunerary cone of buff clay with tapering cone element intact. Head carries a rectangular stamp with two divided columns of hieroglyphic text (quite faint towards the bottom, but known in full from parallels) naming the owners as "the Osiris, Chief Scribe of Amen, Neferhotep, True-of-Voice (and) his sister Lady of the House Meryre, True-of-Voice" (Wsir sS wr n Imn nfr-Htp mAa xrw snt.f nb(.t) pr mry-Ra mAa xrw).
Funerary cones were components of a frieze, inserted above the doors of private tombs, particularly in the Theban region. They have been variously interpreted as: name-plates of sorts to identify the tomb owner, decorative memorials, boundary markers for a tomb, dummy bread loaves or meat offerings, symbolic roof beams, or (for the visible circular head) depictions of the sun disk.
For other examples of the same owners and stamp see: Res.72.341; Res.72.343; Res.72.344; Res.72.345; Res.72.346; Res.72.347; Res.72.348; Res.72.349; Res.72.350; 72.1820; 72.1821; 72.1822.
Davies and Macadam, A Corpus of Inscribed Egyptian Funerary Cones (1957), type #291.
Funerary cones were components of a frieze, inserted above the doors of private tombs, particularly in the Theban region. They have been variously interpreted as: name-plates of sorts to identify the tomb owner, decorative memorials, boundary markers for a tomb, dummy bread loaves or meat offerings, symbolic roof beams, or (for the visible circular head) depictions of the sun disk.
For other examples of the same owners and stamp see: Res.72.341; Res.72.343; Res.72.344; Res.72.345; Res.72.346; Res.72.347; Res.72.348; Res.72.349; Res.72.350; 72.1820; 72.1821; 72.1822.
Davies and Macadam, A Corpus of Inscribed Egyptian Funerary Cones (1957), type #291.
ProvenanceBy 1836: Robert Hay Collection, Linplum, Scotland; 1863: to his son, Robert James Alexander Hay; 1868-1872: Way Collection, Boston (purchased by Samuel A. Way through London dealers Rollin and Feuardent, 27 Haymarket); 1872: given to the MFA by Samuel's son, C. Granville Way.
(Accession Date: June 28, 1872)
(Accession Date: June 28, 1872)