ART.EGY.BC1543–1292

Egyptian Funerary Cone

Clay cones about 4" to 6" in length were placed at the entrances of tombs during the New Kingdom and Late Period, particularly in the area of Thebes.* The flat end was stamped with a short hieroglyphic inscription from a wood or stone matrix (a stamp used to create the impression as seen on these cones), and the pointed end was pushed into damp plaster above the entrance of the tomb.

The inscription usually included the name of the deceased, his title and perhaps a reference to the ruler under whom he served. While some were simple, like our example, other funerary cones featured complex and elaborate designs - usually those of higher class or social standing.

Tomb owners decorated their final resting places with up to 300 identical cones. In many cases we can match the cones to the tombs whence they came. In about 400 situations, however, we have cones but do not know the location of the tombs, and there are 300+ cases of tombs that have no known examples of cones.

The exact purpose of Egyptian funerary cones is still unknown, though archeologists and Egyptologists have attempted to explain their meaning. Some saw it as a means to "seal" or protect the entrance to the tomb, while others saw it as merely decoration or a means to give an offering to the gods (Dibley). Dibley and Lipkin suggest that having a great number of cones offered the owner great prestige, allowing their name (which was inscribed on the cones) to be spoken or read many times, ensuring eternal life. This might be supported by the fact that many inscriptions in the tomb of Ahmose, the owner of our cone, portray his son repeating his name and granting him remembrance (Piccione).

This funerary cone was made for a man named Ahmose, a priest who lived during the reign of Tuthmose III in the 18th Dynasty (c. 1479 - 1425 B.C.).

The inscription reads: "First god's servant of Amun in [the temple named] Henket-Ankh. Ahmose" (Dibley).

While our cone leans toward the simpler side in regard to decoration, the location of the Ahmose's tomb and the titles given to him during and after his death confirm that Ahmose enjoyed high rank. A prophet for several temples and servant to multiple kings, Ahmose was buried in a T-shaped tomb (TT 121) that was one of the largest of the time period, comparable to the tombs of viziers and high priests (Piccione). The tomb rests on the west side of the Nile, part of the necropolis of Sheikh Abd el-Qurna, part of the Theban Necropolis. It is one of the most visited locations in the area.

The inscription on our cone is registered as No. 297 in Macadam's Corpus of Inscribed Funerary Cones, Oxford, 1957 (reprinted and expanded as A Compendium of Egyptian Funerary Cones by Gary Dibley and Bron Lipkin, 2009). Because several identical copies of each cone exist, the drawing in the book shows details not clearly visible in our example.



*Cones are known from several other places, but western Thebes has yielded by far the greatest number. There are also examples of "cones" in other shapes, including rectangular, bell-shaped or wedge-shaped. A few hollow ones are known. The largest example is about 20 inches long. The earliest cones, from Dyn. XI, are uninscribed.

***
Lipkin, Bron, and Gary Dibley. A Compendium of Egyptian Funerary Cones. London, UK: Verf., 2009.

Piccione, Peter. “A Family of Priests in the Theban Tombs of Ahmose and R‘a (TT 121 and 72).” ESSAYS FOR THE LIBRARY OF SESHAT: Studies Presented to Janet H. Johnson on the Occasion of Her 70th Birthday, Ed. R. K. Ritner. SAOC 70. Chicago. Pp. 255-280., 2017.

1543–1292 BC

Egypt (ancient)

18th Dynasty, Reign of Thutmose III, 1543–1292 BC

Funerary Cone

English Artifact See all items with this value

Writing History See all items with this value

History of Writing Collection See all items with this value

Lipkin, Bron, and Gary Dibley. A Compendium of Egyptian Funerary Cones. London, UK: Verf., 2009.

Piccione, Peter. “A Family of Priests in the Theban Tombs of Ahmose and R‘a (TT 121 and 72).” ESSAYS FOR THE LIBRARY OF SESHAT: Studies Presented to Janet H. Johnson on the Occasion of Her 70th Birthday, Ed. R. K. Ritner. SAOC 70. Chicago. Pp. 255-280., 2017.

Egyptian

Clay

Funerary cones See all items with this value