Ancient Egypt, Third Intermediate to Late Dynastic Period, ca. 1070 to 332 BCE. A beautiful fragment of a false door or lintel consisting of a recessed central panel surrounded by two columns and one upper register of inscribed hieroglyphs. The right-most periphery is decorated with a broad, incised sawtooth motif that would have wrapped around the lateral and upper borders of the false door. This fragment was perhaps painted in vibrant colors when adorning the interior of a tomb, though no traces of such coloration remain. The upper register reads, “Revered one,” and the interior column reads, “Revered one, who is in . . .” and signify that this individual was perhaps a priest. The right-most column reads, “The Osiris, Mereri” above an image of the decease facing to the left. Size: 11.2″ W x 17.6″ H (28.4 cm x 44.7 cm); 18.7″ H (47.5 cm) on included custom stand.
