About this artwork
This lintel fragment depicts a couple kneeling with their hands raised in an Egyptian gesture of praise, worshipping the funerary deities Osiris and Isis. It once crowned a doorway in the tomb chapel of Iniuia, a high-ranking official who served under King Tutankhamun, and his wife, Iuy. Hieroglyphs separating the couple from the gods state that they are praising Osiris so that he will give them the “sweet breath” they need to thrive in the afterlife. Ancient Egyptian religion required worshippers to perform acts of devotion toward gods and goddesses in order to receive their favors. Here, that devotion is captured in stone, guaranteeing that Iniuia and Iuy will benefit from it forever.
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Status
- On View, Gallery 50
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Department
- Arts of Africa
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Culture
- Ancient Egyptian
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Title
- Lintel Fragment Depicting Iniuia and Iuy Worshipping Deities
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Place
- Egypt (Object made in)
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Date
- Made 1336 BCE–1327 BCE
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Medium
- Limestone and pigment
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Inscriptions
- "Giving praise to Osiris, kissing the earth for Wenenefer, so that he might give sweet breath to the scribe of the silver- and gold-treasuries of the Lord of the Two Lands Iniuia, true of voice, and his wife (lit. sister), the mistress of the house Iuy, favored by Hathor the msitress of the sycamore."
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Dimensions
- 24.8 × 71.1 × 10.8 cm (9 13/16 × 28 × 4 5/16 in.)
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Credit Line
- Gift of Henry H. Getty, Charles L. Hutchinson, and Robert H. Fleming
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Reference Number
- 1894.246
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IIIF Manifest
- https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/121774/manifest.json
Extended information about this artwork
Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.
