Relief with Cartouches of Ptolemy II
Culture: Egyptian
Period: Ptolemaic Period
Date: 285-246 B.C.
Medium: Limestone
Dimensions:
15 1/4 x 41 1/8 x 3 1/2 in. (38.7 x 104.5 x 8.9 cm)
Credit Line: Purchased with the Grace Fortner Rider Fund
Object number: 2002.8
Inscribed: Two cartouches with text written right to left:
Right cartouche:
wsir-kA-ra mry-imn
Weserkara, Beloved of Amun
Left cartouche:
p-t-w-l-m-y-s
Ptolemys (Ptolemy II)
Additional information in curatorial file [S. Schellinger 2018]
Provenance: with Ancient Art Gallery, Amsterdam, by about 1970 (according to Sotheby's catalogue); with Galerie Mouseion, Paris, by about 1975 (according to Sotheby's catalogue); sold, Sotheby's, New York, June 13, 2002, lot 39, to San Antonio Museum of Art
Label Text
Carved in sunk relief, this fragment records the two principal names of the Greek pharaoh Ptolemy II Philadelphos, each appearing in a cartouche placed above the hieroglyphic sign for gold. That to the left phonetically spells "Ptolemy." The cartouche to the right is his coronation name, Weserkara, meaning "Beloved of Amun." Flanking the royal names are a vulture goddess (either Nekhbet or Mut) and the goddess Maat, a deity associated with righteousness and cosmic order. The use of such royal and divine imagery was appropriate for the decoration of ancient Egyptian temples. (Gerry D. Scott, III, August 2002).
On view
In Collection(s)
The San Antonio Museum of Art is in the process of digitizing its permanent collection. This electronic record was created from historic documentation that does not necessarily reflect SAMA's complete or current knowledge about the object. Review and updating of such records is ongoing.
This resource has been made possible in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities: Exploring the Human Endeavor.
