Stela of Sehetepibreankh
Funerary stelae like this one were set up in order to commemorate a deceased person and honor the gods. It also ensured the dead received regular offerings in the afterlife. This one most probably originates from Abydos, an important center for the cult of the Egyptian god Osiris. The stela depicts its owner, Sehetepibreankh, and some of his family members: his mother, father and two brothers. It is inscribed with hieroglyphic texts honoring gods and kings, describing the accomplishments of the deceased and his family members during their life, and detailing what offerings he would like to receive.
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Memory in progress
story by Kiki Freriks.Funerary stelae are able to tell us a lot about the ancient Egyptians and their lives. They name the titles and functions of the deceased (and often those of their family members), and sometimes contain extra passages that make the stela more personal. This stela is particularly interesting because of the unfinished part at the bottom, which also tells us something about the artist’s process of making stelae such as this. In this story we will look more closely at the images and texts depicted on the object, and in doing so, get to know the people behind it a little