Some Remarks Concerning the Standards Depicted on the Frieze of Louvre C15 Stela

Summary The frieze of Louvre C15 stela, pertaining to Abkau, has previously been interpreted as a representation of the Osiris mysteries and as a cryptographic text. This study examines the group of standards included in this frieze in search of a more concrete parallel, with the aim of gaining a deeper understanding of the presence of the Bat emblem in the line. Among the cases presented here, a contextual parallel of this processional line is identified in a scene from the Chapel of Sethy I at his temple at Abydos, and a formal parallel in the second hour of the Amduat. This analysis also permits the suggestion that the frieze has a symmetric structure and was most likely carved to ensure Abkau’s eternal participation in the Abydene rituals.