Models like this were placed in the tombs of wealthy individuals to provide them with a supply of food and drink in the afterlife. This example shows the production of beer, one of the Egyptian dietary basics, and a butcher preparing beef, a luxury food. Such models provide a wealth of detail about the ancient Egyptian diet and the ways in which foodstuffs were produced and prepared.
From
Tomb of Sebekhetepi (Tomb 723), Beni Hasan, Egypt
Date
2125 – 1975 BC
Culture
Ancient Egypt, Middle Kingdom
Material
wood
Dimensions
width: 24.3 cm
length: 49.6 cm
Museum
British Museum
(Please always check with the museum that the object is on display before travelling)