Ritual Implement Dedicated by a King Senwosret to Nebhepetre Mentuhotep II
A forked black stone implement with a gold-filled hieroglyphic dedication, offered by a King Senwosret to his predecessor Mentuhotep II for ritual use. Full commentary ↓
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Ritual Implement Dedicated by a King Senwosret to Nebhepetre Mentuhotep II is a stone object by an unknown maker (ca. 1961–1840 B.C.) in the collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art. It measures 21.1 × 6.5 × 0.8 cm.
In the pictureA long, slender black stone implement with a forked tip stands upright. A single vertical line of hieroglyphs filled with gold is carved on its surface, and it tapers toward the bottom. It is 21 cm tall and less than 1 cm thick.
BackgroundThis implement is a peseshkef used in the "Opening of the Mouth" ceremony, which opened the mouth of the deceased so he could eat and speak in the afterlife. The inscription records that a king named Senwosret dedicated it to Mentuhotep II, founder of the Middle Kingdom, an example of a later king honoring as a god the predecessor who had reunified Egypt. The gold-filled inscription marks it as a royal offering.
Puzzle tipThe shape is simple, so at a low piece count it goes quickly. Set the vertical axis with the pieces of the forked top and the pointed bottom tip, then join the gold inscription pieces in order. Fill the gray background starting with the pieces that catch the implement's outline. Easy (about 24 pieces) is a good fit.
- Period
- Middle Kingdom
- Dynasty
- Dynasty 12
- Medium
- Hornblende granite
- Dimensions
- 21.1 × 6.5 × 0.8 cm
- Credit line
- Rogers Fund, 1924
Source: The Metropolitan Museum of Art ↗
Stories about this work
- Mentuhotep II, Who Reunited a Divided Egypt, and Four Carved Works
A war record from just before reunification, a queen's stone sarcophagus, a shrine wall, and a later king's dedication. The story of a Theban king who made Egypt whole again, read through stone.
