False-door funerary stele of Iry

Photogallery

False-door funerary stele of Iry
False-door funerary stele of Iry
Room I. Epigraphic Artefacts

Funerary stelae, in the words of the Egyptians themselves, served to “render living the name” of the deceased and to guarantee life in the hereafter. Depicted in the act of receiving gifts and offerings from members of his family, the deceased always appears seated at a laden banqueting table.
The false-door stele, which developed from the more ancient custom of setting framed stelae in the façade of a building, is found in the tomb or more specifically in the funeral chapel, a place accessible to the living and where the deceased was worshipped. In front of this door living relatives deposited their offerings of food and drinks necessary for life in the hereafter.
This stele belonged to Iri-en-achti, known as Iry, who was a priest of the cult of the pharaoh Cheops (Dynasty IV) and superintendent of his pyramid at Giza, the most majestic ever built.