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Funerary cone of Neferhotep and Meryre
Egyptian
New Kingdom, Dynasty 18–20
1550–1070 B.C.
Medium/Technique
Pottery
Dimensions
Height x diameter: 5.1 x 7.9 cm (2 x 3 1/8 in.)
Credit Line
Hay Collection—Gift of C. Granville Way
Accession NumberRES.72.346
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 broken off and missing. Head carries a rectangular stamp with two divided columns of hieroglyphic text 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.72.342; Res.72.343; Res.72.344; Res.72.345; 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.72.342; Res.72.343; Res.72.344; Res.72.345; 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)