Part of a limestone lintel from the tomb of a man named Hy. His titles includes that of “Royal Architect”. Old Kingdom, approximately 2300 BC.

Well-to-do Egyptians devoted much of their time and resources towards building tombs for a comfortable afterlife. Depictions of the dead person and his life on earth were on the walls of the tomb to provide a home for his spirit. Tomb chapels were places where the dead person’s friends and relatives could gather to remember him, offer food, and share memories.

Egyptian art does not aim to provide a “realistic” image of a person, but to depict the essence of the person shown. Here, Hy has a baggy knee-length linen kilt and round wig to show his importance, and his body is shown in an easily recognizable way: his feet, legs, and head are shown in profile while his eye, torso, and hands face the viewer. The lintel of Hy’s tomb would have been open to daylight, allowing the sunk relief carvings to make striking shadows in the sun.

Inspired by objects in the Hall of Ancient Egypt