The Book of the Dead of Nes-Min, Section 13

between 4th and 3rd century BCE

Egyptian

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Catalogue Raisonné

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About the Artwork

This page is only a small part of a complete manuscript of The Book of the Dead made for a man named Nes-min. The Book of the Dead was a collection of prayers and spells believed to provide aid for the spirit of the deceased in the next life. In this vignette Nes-min is led into the presence of Osiris and the gods who judge the dead by Ma’at, goddess of truth. His judgment is represented by the weighing of his heart against an ostrich feather, symbolizing truth and right-doing. If he did not pass this individual judgment, his heart would be fed to the “devourer,” the monster crouching in readiness before Osiris.

Title The Book of the Dead of Nes-Min, Section 13

Artwork Date between 4th and 3rd century BCE

Artist ----------

Life Dates ----------

Nationality Please note: Definitions for nationality may vary significantly, depending on chronology and world events. Some definitions include: Belonging to a people having a common origin based on a geography and/or descent and/or tradition and/or culture and/or religion and/or language, or sharing membership in a legally defined nation. Egyptian

Culture Please note: Cultures may be defined by the language, customs, religious beliefs, social norms, and material traits of a group. Egyptian

Medium Ink on papyrus

Dimensions Framed: 22 5/8 × 28 5/8 × 1 3/8 inches (57.5 × 72.7 × 3.5 cm) Image (approx. average of leaf): 13 3/4 × 21 5/8 inches (34.9 × 54.9 cm)

Classification Manuscripts

Department African Art

Credit Founders Society Purchase, Mr. and Mrs. Allan Shelden III Fund, Ralph Harman Booth Bequest Fund, and Hill Memorial Fund

Accession Number This unique number is assigned to an individual artwork as part of the cataloguing process at the time of entry into the permanent collection. Most frequently, accession numbers begin with the year in which the artwork entered the museum’s holdings. For example, 2008.3 refers to the year of acquisition and notes that it was the 3rd of that year. The DIA has a few additional systems—no longer assigned—that identify specific donors or museum patronage groups. 1988.10.13

Markings

Inscriptions Inscribed: This leaf contains the text of: BD 125 continued from Leaf 12. BD 91 For Not Restraining His Soul in the Land of the Dead. BD 126: Prayer for the Baboons of the Sun.

Provenance

1988-present, purchase by the Detroit Institute of Arts (Detroit, Michigan, USA)

For more information on provenance and its important function in the museum, please visit:

Provenance page

Exhibition History

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The exhibition history of a number of objects in our collection only begins after their acquisition by the museum, and may reflect an incomplete record.

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Published References

Eggebrecht, Arne. Das Alte Ägypten. München, 1984, p. 357.

Schildkraut, Linda. Masterpieces: Greek, Roman, Egyptian, Ancient Near Eastern. New York, 1984, p. 15.

"Selected recent acquisitions." Bulletin of the DIA 64, no. 4 (1989): 55 (ill.).

Henshaw, Julia P., ed. A Visitors Guide: The Detroit Institute of Arts. Detroit, 1995, p. 105 (ill.).

Meeks, Dimitri and Christine Favard-Meeks. Daily Life of the Egyptian Gods. Ithaca, NY, 1996, fig.16.

"DIA Art Game: Art Speaks." The Detroit Free Press, April 26, 1998, 28.

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Catalogue Raisoneé

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Credit Line for Reproduction

Egyptian, The Book of the Dead of Nes-Min, Section 13, between 4th and 3rd century BCE, ink on papyrus. Detroit Institute of Arts, Founders Society Purchase, Mr. and Mrs. Allan Shelden III Fund, Ralph Harman Booth Bequest Fund, and Hill Memorial Fund, 1988.10.13.