12th Dynasty stela
- Gallery: Room 4
- Culture: 12th Dynasty
- Date: 1925BC (circa)
- Object type: stela
- Materials: limestone
- Museum number: EA828
- Museum: The British Museum
- Collection record: British Museum website
- Image © The Trustees of the British Museum, shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 licence.
Listen to the free audio guide
About this object
Before you stands a limestone stela dating back to around 1925 BC, a historical artifact from Egypt’s 12th Dynasty. Divided into three registers, this beautifully preserved piece showcases an important figure named Samontu. At the top, a cartouche of King Amenemhat II signals the stela was made during his reign, while ten neat columns of hieroglyphs record Samontu’s life, including references to earlier kings Amenemhat I and Senusret I.
The upper scene portrays Samontu seated with his wife, Hedjeret, in front of offering symbols. The lowest register features five children—three sons and two daughters—with titles and names, suggesting a family of status. The artwork is cut in sunk relief with vivid paint—hieroglyphs in blue, figures in reddish-brown, and offerings in a mix of colors.
This stela’s style and preserved colors make it a rare and telling glimpse into the artistic and administrative life of the Middle Kingdom.
See it in person
12th Dynasty stela is on display in Room 4 at the British Museum on Great Russell Street, Bloomsbury, London — free to enter. Choose British Museum on audioguide.london and take a photo of it to hear this free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
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