Archaeological Museum of Bologna

The openwork panel, once embellished with inserts made of another material, is from a small temple (naos) or may have been part of sacred furnishings, and it reproduces a temple ceremony. The sole officiant is the pharaoh Sehibra, recognizable by the cartouche on which he is kneeling. The king, protected by the wings of a goddess, possibly Isis, is holding a basket surmounted by the udjat eye – “healed” – and the sign of nefer, an adjective meaning “beautiful” or “good”, to be offered to the deity.

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This ritual was repeated daily in Egyptian temples and, as the supreme earthly guarantor of Ma’at (truth, justice and the cosmic order) and the sole intermediary between men and the gods, the king was the only one who could celebrate it. Since the same function could not be performed throughout the country, the high priest of each temple stood in the pharaoh’s stead. The sovereign’s participation in the ritual was guaranteed by reliefs on the walls, sculptures and decorative elements in the sacred area that showed him making this offering to the deity.

Provenance: Provenance unknown. Palagi Collection
Datation: THIRD INTERMEDIATE PERIOD: 27th dynasty (ca 520 BC), reign of Petubasti Seh(er)ibra (520 a.C. circa)
Material: Wood
Dimensions: cm 25,5 x 15 x 1
Inventory #: EG 289