Relief from tomb of Ny-ankh-nesuwt. Saqqara, Egypt, c. 2345-2320 BC. On display at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, Missouri. [4032×3024]

This is a portion of the reliefs decorating the tomb of an important official named Ny-ankh-nesuwt in Saqqara, Egypt. The low-relief sculpture forms three registers, of which the lowest is damaged and incomplete. Originally, vibrant paint would have helped the figures and scenes come to life. In the top register, a group of men gather papyrus plants into baskets and use them to build boats. The middle register features men in boats laden with goods, like food, birds, and even a cow. The men are fighting, perhaps to be the first to deliver their goods to the official. In the damaged bottom register, the men are carrying the goods to present them.