Wall Fragment from the Tomb of Amenemhat

Amenemhet and his wife, Hemet
Middle Kingdom, Dynasty 12 (ca. 1991-1784 BCE)
Limestone and pigment, 30.6 x 41.7 x 6.3 cm (12 x 16 3/8 x 3 1/4 in.)
Museum Purchase Fund, Art Institute of Chicago #1920.262
Photo © Joan Ann Lansberry

(From info card):
"Lauded by Breasted as 'one of the finest pieces I ever saw,' this relief still retains its original, brightly colored four-thousand-year-old pigment. The function of Egyptian tomb art was to preserve scences of daily life for the afterlife. In this scene, Amenemhet and his wife are outfitted with food and drink to sustain them after death. With this piece, Breasted provided the museum with a beautiful and archetypal example of Egyptian funerary art that also depicts the daily lives of ancient Egyptians."