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LOT 0028
Egyptian Limestone Offering Table for Iny
LATE OLD KINGDOM-FIRST INTERMEDIATE PERIOD, CIRCA 2400-2040 B.C.
18 in. (14.75 kg, 45.5 cm).
Rectangular table with the upper part carved in high relief in the shape of a bread loaf on a mat representing the hieroglyphic sign for "offering" (ḥtp), with two rectangular recesses for libations, and extensive hieroglyphic inscriptions displaying offering formulae along with the titles and name of the deceased: "an offering that the king gives and Anubis, the one upon his mountain, a voice offering of bread and beer for the sole companion, god’s sealer, the revered one before the god, lord of the sky/heaven, In[y]".
ProvenanceAcquired 1970s-1996.
Private collection, Switzerland.
with a North American collector.
London collection, 2016.
Accompanied by an academic report by Egyptologist Paul Whelan.
This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.13001-244462.
Cf. Firth, C.M. and Gunn, B., Excavations at Saqqara: Teti Pyramid Cemeteries, vols. I & II, Le Caire, 1926, pp. 217-226, pl.11, for similar examples.
FootnotesOffering tables played a significant role in ritualistic activity within tombs. Their origins may be traced back to the simple act of placing a loaf of bread on a reed mat during Predynastic burials, which gradually evolved into a more formalised and durable expression in stone. The distinctive form also became a hieroglyph, used in words meaning “to be satisfied,” “to be satiated,” and similar expressions, reflecting appropriate sentiments for food and drink offerings.
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