Donation stela: Apries offers land to Bastet

Unknown

589–570 B.C. · Limestone · Egyptian Art

From the Third Intermediate Period through the Saite Period a large number of stelae are preserved that, like this one, record the donation of land to temples. These give an unusually rich view into temple and land organization. Most often non-royal persons actually made the gift, and the gift was probably destined for the support of the donor's funerary cult. The donation was generally made through an intermediary somehow attached to the temple and who must have derived some benefit for his agency. For reasons of decorum, usually the reigning king was depicted as the official donor in the scene at the top. Probably because of the nature of land development, almost all such stelae relate to areas in the north of the country. While King Apries is depicted as the offerer, the four lines of hieroglyphic text record the donation is made by Padeset son of Padenebetsekhet and is to be administered by Pedubast son of Pedehor.

Artist

Unknown

Date

589–570 B.C.

Medium

Limestone

Department

Egyptian Art

Credit line

Gift of Darius Ogden Mills, 1904