Material: Limestone with pigments
Period: Egypt, New Kingdom, XVIII Dynasty (ca. 1546–1323 BC)
Dimensions: 35 × 30 cm (height × width)
Provenance: Private collection of Dina Recanati (1928–2021), New York, USA
A rare relief expressing authority and order
Relief of the Governor Unnuy
A parietal relief from a tomb or chapel depicting a mature male figure identified as Unnuy, shown with raised arms in an attitude of worship before five columns of hieroglyphic text. Traces of reddish polychromy survive on the body, while the painted garments and wig have largely disappeared.
The figure wears a short wig, a pleated ceremonial kilt, and two shebiu necklaces — prestigious gold rewards bestowed by the pharaoh, marking Unnuy as a high-ranking official.
The accompanying inscription names him “General Governor who controls disorder,” a title indicating exceptional authority, likely exercised in a frontier or provincial context. Stylistic and iconographic features place the relief in the New Kingdom, possibly around the Amarna period.
