The deceased is represented twice on the stele: first, he is the man banqueting on the kline (couch), holding a cup and a fan; with a basket of grain, three jugs, and a tripod in front of him. But the child on his right also belongs to him. His arms are held high in a gesture of prayer, but in Egypt, this posture is also characteristic of those who have passed the netherworld judgement. The child thus represents the soul of the deceased, who accepts the funerary offerings. The jackal above him is the sacred animal of Anubis, the guardian of the tombs. The representation is closer to the Egyptian tradition; but the name of the deceased was carved in Greek.
Material analyses conducted by Danielle Decrouez (Geneva, Museum of Natural History) and Karl Ramseyer (University of Bern, Institute of Geological Sciences) have shown that the funerary stele was made of Egyptian limestone. Click here for the detailed results.
