Returned to lender The Met accepts temporary loans of art both for short-term exhibitions and for long-term display in its galleries.
Relief of an Offering Bearer with Pintail Ducks
Middle Kingdom
Not on view
This object is not part of The Met collection. It was in the Museum for a special exhibition and has been returned to the lender.
Like the relief from the pyramid temple of Senwosret I to the left, this piece also originates from a procession of offering bearers walking toward the king. In this case, the relief likely comes from a modest royal chapel attached to the north side of the pyramid of Amenemhat I. Here, a man removes ducks from a cage and slaughters them as a stage in the preparation of the king’s eternal meal. The offering bearer is shown with two left hands, an incongruity that allows for a more graphic depiction of the action. The low relief and delicate modeling are typical of the reign of Amenemhat I.
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