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Funerary cone of Djeser-ka
Egyptian
New Kingdom, Dynasty 18–20
1550–1070 B.C.
Medium/Technique
Pottery
Dimensions
Length x diameter: 55.9 x 16 cm (22 x 6 5/16 in.)
Credit Line
Hay Collection—Gift of C. Granville Way
Accession NumberRES.72.268
NOT ON VIEW
CollectionsAncient Egypt, Nubia and the Near East
ClassificationsArchitectural elements
Catalogue Raisonné
Davies & MacAdam 559
DescriptionFunerary cone of reddish clay with tapering cone end intact. Head stamped with three horizontal lines of hieroglyphs with dividing lines. Text identifies the owner as "Scribe of Grain Accounting of Amen, [Djeser-ka]" (sS Hsb-it n Imn [Dsr-kA]). Fragment chipped away from bottom of head. Bottom of stamp either broken away and edges subsequently worn, or stamp originally not centered well, such that bottom line of impression largely missing (known from parallels). Surviving stamp impression worn substantially.
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 same owner see: Res. 72.267, Res.72.269, Res.72.270, Res.72.271, Res.72.272, Res.72.273, Res.72.274, Res.72.275, Res.72.276, Res.72.277, Res.72.1767, 72.1767.
Davies and Macadam, A Corpus of Inscribed Egyptian Funerary Cones (1957), type #559.
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 same owner see: Res. 72.267, Res.72.269, Res.72.270, Res.72.271, Res.72.272, Res.72.273, Res.72.274, Res.72.275, Res.72.276, Res.72.277, Res.72.1767, 72.1767.
Davies and Macadam, A Corpus of Inscribed Egyptian Funerary Cones (1957), type #559.
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)