Stela of Amenemhat and Hemet

This small stone slab, called a stela, is made of limestone with paint on top. It is about 31 centimeters high and 42 centimeters wide, so you could hold it in your arms. It was made to commemorate a man named Amenemhat and his wife, Hemet, for all eternity. They stand on the left side. In front of them are two offering tables piled with food. Their son appears much smaller in the upper right. Hieroglyphs, which are the picture signs of ancient Egyptian writing, fill the space around the figures and run along the top and right edge.

Start with the two figures on the left. Notice that Amenemhat's skin is dark reddish brown, while Hemet's is yellow. Then look at how each body is built. The heads are in profile, but the shoulders face you straight on, and then the chest and legs turn to the side again. Finally, find the border along the top and right edge. Its hieroglyphs are cut into the stone and painted blue, while the signs inside the scene stand out from the surface in bright colors.

This stela was made in the Middle Kingdom, early in the Twelfth Dynasty, about 1956 to 1877 BCE. It was probably made in Thebes, which is now Luxor. The artist first sculpted it in two kinds of carving. In raised relief, the figures stand out from the background. In sunken relief, they are cut down into the stone. Only afterward were some surfaces painted in black, brown, green, yellow, and white. The paint was a mixture of pigment and tempera. The artist's aim was to preserve the essential parts of his subjects forever.

Every choice here carries meaning. The left side was the place of honor, so Amenemhat and Hemet are shown there. He stands in front of his wife, which marks him as head of the household. His darker skin suggests an active life outdoors, while her paler color suggests the home, which was her realm. The hieroglyphs name the couple, give their family line, and speak offerings. The Egyptians believed food could be real, pictured, written, or spoken in prayer. Look once more at the tables of food, and the painted words around them.