Photo for Today - More from the Walters Art Museum

WM-EG011
Ankh-ef-en-Sekhmet Entertained by a Harpist

Copyright Rick Menges with my thanks

Artist: Anonymous (Egyptian)
Date (Period): ca. 550-525 BC (Late Period)
Medium: carved limestone, traces of red paint
Measurements: 17 5/16 x 25 9/16 in. (44 x 65 cm)

Item Description:

Late Period interest in the past is clearly demonstrated in this work, whose composition, clothing, and poses all recall Old Kingdom and Middle Kingdom works. Details such as the crisp precision of the carving and the presence of personal names date the piece to the Late Period. It shows its owners, Ankh-ef-en-Sekhmet and his wife Hathor-em-hat, to the viewer's left. Their daughter, with close-cropped hair, kneels at center. The three are entertained by a harpist named Psamtik-seneb, who "plays the harp for the good of their spirits everyday." The harpist's name means "may King Psamtik be healthy." The tomb from which this relief came was located in Saqqara, the necropolis (cemetery) of Memphis, an important center for the worship of the goddesses Sekhmet and Hathor, whose names are incorporated into the tomb owners' names.