The Stela of Nefer-Hotep (CG 20192- JE 25547)

Document Type : Original Article

Author

Faculty of Arts- Ain Shams University.

Abstract

This article is a publication of a limestone stela of unknown provenance that was once preserved in the Egyptian museum at Al Tahrir square - Cairo (CG 20192- JE 25547). It is transferred later on to the GrandEgyptianMuseum (GEM. No. 14252).

It is a round-topped funerary stela and it belongs to a man called Nfr-Htp. The upper part of the stela is adorned with a representation of the jackal god Anubis crouching upon his shrine and his title is written in front of him. Then three lines of inscriptions are depicted representing the offering formula for the deceased. The lower part of the stela is divided into two parts. On the left side a figure of Nfr-Htp is shown, while the right side presents three columns of inscriptions depicting the names of the deceased and members of his family. The article tries to explore the identity of its owner and to know the date of the stela through its epigraphy and iconography. The article discusses also the title of “smsw hAy.t” held by the deceased and its function. Furthermore, the stela shows an early representation of the retrograde writing.

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