4th Dynasty stela
- Gallery: Room 4
- Culture: 4th Dynasty
- Object type: stela
- Materials: limestone
- Museum number: EA1324
- 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 carved limestone stela from Egypt’s 4th Dynasty. This monument honors Kainefer, a high-ranking official and son of King Snofru. Though Kainefer’s image is absent, his titles and achievements are carefully written in hieroglyphs, arranged in neat rows across the stela's upper sections.
At the center of each long panel stand large figures of Kaiwareb, likely Kainefer’s son, in official dress and holding ceremonial staffs. Below, rows of small figures represent other family members, including possible sons and relatives, arranged in two registers.
The stela’s surface appears worn, with signs of weathering and salt damage. Originally, it was broken into pieces for transport, with parts of the center lost — but crucial texts and images were preserved.
This artistic and administrative monument offers a rare look into the royal legacy of the Old Kingdom, highlighting honor, family, and the visual language of ancient Egyptian commemoration.
See it in person
4th 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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