  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
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  Life Dates
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  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.
  
  
  
  
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  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
  
  
  Copyright
  This work is in the public domain.
