Title
Relief from the Tomb of Ptahhotep: Domestic Cranes and Geese
Description
Plaster cast of a relief depicting cranes and geese in a small scene. Site of origin is the Tomb of Ptahhotep, Saqqara necropolis, Memphis, Egypt, circa 2494-2345 BCE (Old Kingdom, Dynasty V).
Publication Date
1978
Type of Artwork
Relief
Time Period/Geographical Region
Ancient Egypt
Height (cm/in)
49.53 cm / 19.5 in
Width (cm/in)
86.36 cm / 34 in
Depth (cm/in)
7.62 cm / 3 in
Disciplines
Ancient History, Greek and Roman through Late Antiquity | Sculpture
Recommended Citation
Morehead State University. Camden-Carroll Library., "Relief from the Tomb of Ptahhotep: Domestic Cranes and Geese" (1978). Metropolitan Museum of Art Cast Collection. 34.
https://scholarworks.moreheadstate.edu/metropolitan_art_collection/34
Files
Comments
This relief sculpture of domestic geese and cranes is one of many images of animal husbandry in the Old Kingdom tomb of political official Ptahhotep at Saqqara. In the tomb, it is located directly below another cast owned by MSU, the Oxen Led to Sacrifice. The attempt to domesticate these birds was abandoned after the Old Kingdom. Like other animals in this period, they were sacrificed to the gods. The location of this tomb is a necropolis known as Saqqara, where pharaohs, members of the royal family, and important political figures were interred along with fine works of art such as this. Most tomb reliefs were painted; in photographs of Ptahhotep's tomb, you can see color used in the figures, especially the clothing and hair. The 1908 cast catalog from the Metropolitan Museum of Art incorrectly lists these reliefs as being from the Tomb of Ti, another important political official, at Saqqara.