Lid of the sarcophagus of Ibi, Chief Steward of Nitocris, Divine Adoratrice of Amon

The quality of this work, finely sculpted in a very hard rock, befits the lofty status of its owner. Nitocris, daughter of Psamtek I, was the highest religious authority in Thebes, and Ibi managed her estate.

The lid pictures Ibi as Osiris, with his hands emerging from the shroud to grasp the djed-pillar, which allows him to rise to his feet again after his resurrection.

The deities pictured between the mummy bandages incised on the body assist Ibi in his journey in the Beyond. On his feet, the sky-goddess Nut spreads her wings, holding an ankh-symbol in her hands, that Ibi may be reborn every morning like the sun on the horizon.

Three holes are bored under the beard and another in the scepter. Their purpose must have been to make it easier to move the object, which weighs more than a ton.