In the Temple of Sety I at Abydos, a scene from the west wall of the second hypostyle hall shows the pharaoh Sety I together with the goddess Iousaas. Sety I began this large temple and the associated cenotaph of Osiris (the "Osireion"), located near the cemetery of the first kings of Egypt and the legendary tomb of Osiris, but it was left to Sety's son Ramesses II to complete the monument. In the scene shown here, the goddess Iousaas cradles the king's head and presents to his nostrils the sign of life, flanked by two signs representing dominion. Iousaas was a consort of Atum, and she personified the desire that acted upon the mind of Atum and led him to begin creation through masturbation.

• Silver gelatin on glass
• 23.5 x 29.5 cm
• $450.00