Funerary cone

This funerary cone (inventory no. 1398), made of clay, is 23.5cm long and has a 9.2cm diameter at the base. It belonged to the tomb of Basa (TT 389) in the Theban necropolis, and is dated to the reign of Psamtik I (approx. 664–610 B.C.). It is one of four cones from this tomb in the collection. The base is embossed with five well-preserved horizontal lines of text. They read as follows: “Revered one before Osiris, father of a god, servant, who can see the secret of the horizon, stolist of Gebtu (Coptos), imi-is-priest, Hati-a of the town, | Basa, son of god’s father, servant, who can see the secret of the horizon, stolist of Gebtu, imi-is-hesek-priest, Amenem-inet, justified.”