Stela of Mentuwoser

Stela of Mentuwoser

Egypt, Middle Kingdom, reign of Senwosret I, circa 1944 B.C.

Courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art: “This rectangular stone stela honors an official named Mentuwoser. Clasping a piece of folded linen in his left hand, he sits at his funeral banquet, ensuring that he will always receive food offerings and that his family will honor and remember him forever. To the right of Mentuwoser, his son summons his spirit. His daughter holds a lotus, and his father offers a covered dish of food and a jug that, given its shape, contained beer.”