Die Holzstele der Nehemesbastet aus KV 64

The discovery of a new undecorated tomb in the Valley of the Kings (KV 64) revealed an undisturbed burial of the 22nd dynasty. The sarcophagus of a singer of Amun called Nehemes-Bastet and a painted wooden stela were placed upon a layer of limestone debris that filled the tomb chamber to almost half its height. This article focuses on the stela, which is one of the finest examples of its kind. For the first time the original position of this type of object within the burial assemblage can be documented. The stela shows the lady in a white linen dress in front of a seated falcon-headed god addressing a prayer to several deities. The article presents the iconography, investigates the technique and style of the painting and places this new example within a number of close parallels.