121a,b. Scenes from the Thirty-Year Jubilee of King Niuserre
Limestone
a. Left block: h. 86 cm (33 7/8 in.); w. 56 cm (22 in.)
b. Right block: h. 80 cm (31 1/2 in.); w. 80 cm (31 1/2 in.)
Staatliche Sammlung Ägyptischer Kunst, Munich (a) Ä 180, (b) Ä 181
Throughout their long history Egyptians believed firmly that their kings, however divine in nature, needed periodic rejuvenation and strengthening effected by a special encounter with divine forces and by the practice of rituals. The primary occasion for this renewal was the Sed festival, or Heb Sed.1 Ideally this festival was celebrated after thirty years of a king's reign. However, since many rulers did not live long enough to observe a thirty-year jubilee, the mere depiction of the ritual, or indeed the simple mention of a jubilee in an inscription, became a potent means of ensuring renewal of the kingly powers for eternity. The earliest and most elaborate of such representations of which large portions remain are the Heb Sed reliefs found in the Fifth Dynasty king Niuserre's sun temple at Abu Ghurab.
Sed festival scenes were depicted in three places in Niuserre's sun temple (fig. 125). One series was carved on the walls of the corridor that led from the sanctuary's entrance and along its enclosure wall to the platform with the obelisk, the temple's central cult object. Another set was placed in the passage that ascended to the obelisk platform. Only relatively small fragments of these two groups are preserved.2 Considerably more remains of the reliefs from a chapel (fig. 125) that was situated parallel to the Room of the Seasons (see entries for cat. nos. 119, 120). It is from this third group that the Munich blocks derive. These reliefs show the moment in the Heb Sed proceedings at which the king, who has undergone various rites indoors, appears in the open for the first time and, clothed in the characteristic short Heb Sed cloak, sits upon the double throne.3
To correctly understand the narrative of the Munich reliefs it is necessary to be aware that they present only a portion of a series of scenes in which the figure of the king was repeated at regular intervals. The figure of the enthroned pharaoh preserved on the left block belongs to the scene on the block adjoining at the left. Only the four men in the lower register who turn left are connected with this image of the king. Most of the other attendants turn their attention to the now-missing enthroned king on the adjoining block on the right. This clarified, we can proceed to describe some of the scenes in detail. In the upper register a row of standards bearing sacred emblems is carried toward the missing king on the right. The inscription in front of the standards calls them "followers of Horus (god of kingship)," an ancient name for the pharaoh's divine entourage. Appearing four times at the head of the procession are the standards of Wepwawet, literally the "Way Opener," who appears in the form of a jackal. The image is followed by two falcon standards and other emblems that are as yet unexplained.
Marching at the end of the procession is a man whom the inscription identifies as a representative of Heliopolis, the sacred city of the sun god just north of the capital, Memphis. Near the throne on the right are the remains of another inscription.
A highly dramatic action takes place in the middle register. Three "great ones," or chiefs, have prostrated themselves in front of a Wepwawet standard, which is surrounded by warlike symbols, namely a bow and an archer's equipment. Behind them a man, called a "ramherd" in the inscription, raises a twisted magical instrument or amulet. The prostrate chiefs are confronted by two officials with crooked staves and scepters.4 The second official appears to approach in haste,5 while the first raises his scepter and cries "Back." To whom this imperious injunction is directed is unclear: it is probably the prostrate chiefs who are ordered to keep back, and it may be this command that has induced them to fall flat on their faces. At the right edge, separated from the other figures by a vertical line, stood two priests (only one is preserved) accompanied by an inscription that reads "Recitation: hurry! hurry!" Of the attendants in the lower register one man, who faces right below the ramherd, is preserved; the inscriptions here read "going round" and "sitting down," doubtless a description of ritual performances of some kind. The men shown below the preserved figure of the king on his throne are, from left to right, a "[lector] priest," according to the partially preserved inscription, followed by a standard-bearer; the "master of largesse," identified in another inscription; the king's sandal bearer; and a person who holds above his head a symbol of Min, the Upper Egyptian vegetation god (see entry for cat. no. 176). Kaiser, who has made the most thorough study of the Heb Sed representations, maintains that the inclusion of this emblem indicates that the king will visit a Min sanctuary in a ritual depicted on the block adjoining to the left.6
The relief of the Niuserre Heb Sed representations is wafer thin, and their paint is now completely gone. Although much of the effect of these scenes must have depended on their now-vanished colors, these pieces still convey a sense of the highly developed ancient Egyptian art of narrative description of rituals. Most striking in the present images is the intensity with which all attendants are shown to perform their tasks and the isolation, even loneliness, of the pharaoh on his throne. DOA
Notes:
- Martin 1984, cols. 782-90, with earlier bibliography.
- Bissing and Kees 1928.
- Kaiser 1971, pp. 94, 96, offering many reinter-pretations of the earlier analyses of Bissing and Kees 1928, p. 5.
- See Kaplony 1986, cols. 1376, 1386 n. 66.
- See Bissing and Kees 1922, p. 81.
- Kaiser 1971, p. 95. The emblem is not discussed in McFarlane 1995; see, however, ibid., p. 76.
Provenance: Abu Ghurab, sun temple of Niuserre, Heb Sed chapel (fig. 125), Borchardt and Schäfer excavation for Königliche Museen, Berlin, 1898-1901
Bibliography: Bissing and Kees 1923, pl. 11; Kaiser 1967, p. 25, no. 226 (on loan from Munich); Grimm, Schoske, and Wildung 1997, pp. 120-21, no. 91 (right block)
122. Starving Bedouin
Limestone with faint remains of paint
H. 38 cm (15 in.); w. 20 cm (7 7/8 in.); d. 1.4 cm (5/8 in.)
Musée du Louvre, Paris E 17381
This fragment of a relief, original in its theme and the vividness of its treatment, attests that on occasion the Egyptian artist did not hesitate to abandon his habitual serenity in favor of a dramatic style. Emaciated bedouin are shown on different registers of the relief. The plain, wide band at top indicates it is the upper part of the scene that has been preserved. All that remains here are two prostrate, shockingly thin men. The sculptor was able to render with striking realism the tragedy of starvation: flesh-less clavicles, sunken shoulders, torso scored with a series of parallel lines that suggest protruding ribs, and shrunken waists and bellies. The two unfortunate individuals no longer have the strength to stand; they are seated, legs bent in front of them. The figure depicted on the upper register extends his hand to the left, perhaps to offer help to another starving man; only the feet of the latter are still visible. On the lower register an arched back with horribly protruding vertebrae can be made out at far right; the remnants of yellow paint, traditionally used to indicate female skin color, suggest this is a woman.
The scene is difficult to interpret, since we lack a text and since until recently the only point of comparison was a scene on a block also from the causeway of Unis.1 We now know, however, that there is an older example. Very recently, a joint mission of the universities of Giza and Prague uncovered a block bearing a similar decoration among the reliefs from the funerary complex of King Sahure at Abusir.2 The unusual hairstyle of the figures and, on the Cairo fragment, the fringe of beard along the jaw-lines of the old men seem to indicate these are not Egyptians but bedouin living in the Eastern Desert on the border of Egypt. According to the most commonly accepted hypothesis, the theme illustrates the generosity of the sovereign coming to aid destitute populations.3 The relief from Abusir, which mentions the pyramidion atop the pharaoh's tomb, suggests another interpretation, however: the scene may evoke the difficulties encountered by Egyptians in finding the most suitable stones for building. During their quest for construction materials, they may have been forced to venture into inhospitable deserts, traveled exclusively by half-starved bedouin. CZ
Notes:
- Drioton 1943, pp. 45-54.
- Hawass and Verner 1996, pp. 184-85.
- Vercoutter 1985, pp. 327-37.
Provenance: Saqqara, causeway of pyramid of Unis; purchased 1949
Bibliography: Vandier 1950, pp. 27, 28, fig. 4; Keimer 1957, pp. 116,117; S. Schott 1965, pp. 7-13; Amiet 1967, no. 72; Leclant et al. 1978, p. 147, figs. 146, 147; Porter and Moss 1978, p. 420; Vercoutter 1985, p. 329, n. 16; Malek 1986, p. 121; Ziegler 1990b, pp. 48-49, no. 2; Hart 1991, p. 200; Hawass and Verner 1996, p. 180, n. 33; Andreu, Rutschowskaya, and Ziegler 1997, pp. 66, 251, no. 19; Bianchi 1997, p. 37, n. 27.
123. Jar Inscribed with the Name of King Unis
Egyptian alabaster
H. 17 cm (6 3/4 in.); diam. 13.2 cm (5 1/4 in.); diam., neck 4.7 cm (1 7/8s in.); w., cartouche 3.9 cm (1 5/8 in.)
Musée du Louvre, Paris E 32372
Old Kingdom jars with incised decoration are rare. The images and inscriptions on this large, globular receptacle are displayed in two symmetrical groups on the belly. Exploiting the characteristic qualities of the stone, the artist centered the principal images over especially translucent areas. On one side "King of Upper and Lower Egypt" is written above the name Unis, which appears inside a cartouche imitating a knotted double cord. The inscription includes not only the royal name, accompanied by a short protective formula as on traditional models, but in addition symbolic images that are also written signs. On either side of the royal name, two ankh signs, rendered in a naturalistic manner, give the sovereign the guarantee of eternal life. They are presented by two cobras, hoods spread, which are linked to the bird depicted on the back: a falcon with spread wings.
The entire decoration can be read as a promise of renewed life granted to King Unis by Horus, the falcon god, through the mediation of the two solar cobras. It was an artistic vocabulary familiar in later periods: for example, it is found in jewelry from the Middle Kingdom, with a similar placement of the ankh sign. It is very rare on objects from the Old Kingdom.
Although this jar is remarkable for its dimensions and the artistic play among text, form, and material, it can be assigned to a little-known group of decorated vases dating to the end of the Fifth Dynasty and the Sixth Dynasty. Those most like it have been found in the necropolis of Edfu. On the belly of one, inscribed with the name of King Teti, is a decoration of two birds, missing their heads, with outstretched wings, and the bottom is inscribed with a lotus in bloom. The other jar comes from the tomb of the nomarch Izi, whose career ended m the time of King Teti: its incised decoration includes two uraei, separated by a vertical ankh sign. Two fragments uncovered in Byblos (present-day Jabayl) bear the name of Unis, inscribed horizontally and surmounted by a falcon's wing, which the excavator of the object identified as a winged disk. Finally, a jar made of an ostrich egg with a falcon decoration has just been discovered in the Dakhla Oasis, at Balat. There is no doubt that, like other precious objects with royal inscriptions (see cat. nos. 178-180), this was a gift from the pharaoh. CZ
Provenance: Unknown; acquired at auction, Hotel Drouot, Paris, December 7, 1995, lot 226
Bibliography: Ziegler 1996, p. 88; Ziegler 1997b, pp. 461-89, figs. 2-4
124. Kai Seated
Painted limestone with inlaid eyes of rock crystal, calcite, and magnesite mounted in copper cells
H. 77 cm (303/8 in.); w. 34 cm (13 3/8 in.); d. 52 cm (20 1/2 in.)
Musée du Louvre, Paris N 117 (= E 3024 = A 106)
Scholars have long believed that the famous Scribe in the Louvre (fig. 33), which bears no inscription, is another representation of the man named Kai seen here, although there was no evidence for this attribution except that the eyes in both works are inlaid. Recent analyses show that the two sets of eyes were executed using the same technique and in both cases are held in place by large copper cells, whose visible flat edge outlines the eye like a cosmetic band. Each eye is composed of a chunk of white stone for the sclera, into which is inserted a crystal iris, perforated at the back. It is this complex structure, partly reproducing the actual anatomy of the human eye, that gives such a lifelike appearance to the faces; moreover, in both pairs of eyes the pupils are slightly off center in the irises, as are the irises in the scleras, and this irregularity makes the eyes seem to be constantly in motion.
The vizier Kai was a very high official who probably lived in the early part of the Fifth Dynasty; his tomb, containing this statue, was discovered by the French archaeologist Auguste Mariette.1 Kai began his career as Administrator of the Jackal and rose to occupy the most coveted post in the land—that of vizier, whose powers can be compared to those of a prime minister. Kai's importance explains the high quality of this statue, which has retained some of its paint: on the body red—the conventional color for a man's skin; black for the wig, necklace, hieroglyphs, and negative spaces; white for the kilt; and blue for the broad collar.
Kai is depicted sitting on a cubic seat whose high back rises almost to the top of his head; on the right side of the seat, a column of hieroglyphs is inscribed, giving his mother's name, his name, and their titles: "Royal Acquaintance, Mesehet; her son, Administrator of the Jackal, Kai." On the front of the seat, illegible traces of two other columns of writing are visible, painted on either side of Kai's legs and feet.
Kai is dressed in a kilt with pleated side panel, fastened with a belt knotted horizon tally. On his chest he wears a broad collar with several blue and black rows that are still visible in outline. The man's legs are parallel, and he sits with his arms at his sides and hands on his knees, the right palm down, the left in an upright fist, holding a folded cloth. The face is framed by a round wig that conceals the ears and follows the curves of the cheeks; the curls, separated by grooves, are arranged in circular tiers whose common center is marked by a large rosette at the top of the head. The face is broad with pointed chin and rounded cheeks. The eyes are large, and the eyebrows are indicated by a band in very low relief that follows the curve of the eye and tapers at the temple. The nose is thin. The philtrum is marked, and furrows border the cheeks.
The full mouth is precisely outlined, with no clear median notch in the upper lip. The neck is short. There is a very slight depression that indicates the clavicles. The torso is broad and flat, with high pectorals and no nipples; the fold of the armpit extends onto the arm. The deep, circular hollow of the navel is inserted into the flat abdomen; a vertical furrow runs above it. The waist is nipped in and the hips are flat. The rectilinear pleats of the kilt are triangular in cross section. The musculature of the arms at shoulder level is shown, and the muscles of the forearms are elegantly rendered as a triangular structure on the inside of the arm. The elbows are well modeled. The hands are flat with very long fingers and barely delineated nails around the cuticle. The legs, planted slightly apart, are relatively slender despite their thick ankles; the muscles of the calves are rendered with a very smooth indentation; and the ridges of the tibia and knees are subtly modeled. In spite of their massiveness, the feet display subtle details: anklebones, thin, supple toes, and tapering almond-shaped nails.
The statue is remarkable for its large size and for the vividness of the gaze, attributable to the skillfully inlaid eyes that give life to the otherwise impersonal physiognomy. CZ
Notes:
- Porter and Moss 1978, p. 479, n. 63, pl. [46]. Inscriptions on two altars from the same tomb give the title Administrator of the Jackal, but not the title of vizier (Borchardt CGC 1299 and 1303).
Provenance: Saqqara, north of avenue of sphinxes in the Serapeum, Mariette excavation; discovered November 1850; gift of the Egyptian Government as part of the division of finds, 1854.
Bibliography: Capart 1902, pls. 6, 7; Capart 1921, pp. 186-90, pl. 31; Encyclopédie photographique 1935, pls. 32, 33; Ranke 1935, p. 164; Reisner 1936, pp. 402-3, study no. 54; Capart 1942, vol. 2, pp. 217, 244; Cerny 1943, p. 346; Smith 1946, p. 47; Harris 1955, pp. 122-23; Vandier 1958, pp. 66, 122, 124, pl. 19.6; Du Bourguet and Drioton 1965, p. 133; Vandier 1974, p. 162, n. 1; Leclant et al. 1978, p. 289, fig. 308; Porter and Moss 1978, p. 458; Rites de l'éternité 1982, no. 51; Vandersleyen 1983, pp. 62, 63; Bolshakov 1990, p. 1o6b; Ziegler 1997a, pp. 104-8, no. 29
125. Pair Statue of Demedji and Henutsen
Limestone with remains of paint
H. 83 cm (32 5/8 in.); w. 50.8 cm (20 in.); d. 51 cm (20 1/8in.)
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Rogers Fund, 1951 51.37
Demedji was Overseer of the Desert, Overseer of the King's Hunters, and Herdsman of the King's Flocks. His wife, the Royal Acquaintance Henutsen, was priestess of the goddesses Hathor and Neith. The couple's pair statue was dedicated by a son, Ti, who was senior administrator, Chief of the Tens of the South, Master of Secrets, and Overseer of Marshes. It is possible that he was the same Ti who owned a well-known tomb at Saqqara.1 If so, it is possible that Demedji's tomb was also located there.2
Demedji sits on a block seat with no back support. His upper body is carved in the round, except for the arms, which are attached to his torso. Details of his kilt have been exceptionally well executed. The wraparound flap was carved with sharply creased fan pleats that are crosshatched to indicate double pleating, and the lip of cloth pulled up from behind his tied belt is also pleated. His body is well proportioned, but there is somewhat less definition in the modeling of torso and legs than, for example, in the statue of Memi and Sabu (cat. no. 84). This is partly due to the rougher surface of the stone, which is of lesser quality and shows marked deterioration in places.
Henutsen stands to her husband's left. Their arms touch, but there is no other physical contact. She is supported by a narrow back pillar to midshoulder height.
The negative space between her arms and torso is filled with a layer of stone so thin that it has been breached at a point between her right elbow and waist, leaving a small hole. Her hands do not hug the curve of her body, but hang straight at her sides, supported by a ridge of stone about two centimeters thick. The contours of her body are visible beneath her sheath dress, and at first glance she appears to be well proportioned. However, her head and neck are offset slightly to her right, and her arms are unnaturally long, the fingers reaching nearly to the level of her knees. Her fingernails and toenails are carefully carved and slightly rounded.
Henutsen's coiffure is unusually intricate. The interior locks of the wig—those closest to her cheeks—twist inward, toward her face. The outer layer of locks twist away from her face in a pattern that continues around her head. However, instead of meeting at the back of her head, the opposing locks meet just behind her right shoulder. A fairly distinct part creases the top of her wig, and there is no indication of the natural hairline along her forehead.
The faces of the man and his wife, although on different scales, are quite similar. The browridges are more deeply modeled near the nose and above the outer corners of the eyes, but they blend into the eyelids. The mouths are sharply delineated, with full lower lips and clearly defined philtrums that create distinct notches in the upper lips.
This statue was originally dated to the second half of the Fifth Dynasty;3 however, if the couple's son is, in fact, the famous Ti of Saqqara, it must have been made in the first half of the dynasty. Even if one discounts this relationship, several features argue in favor of an earlier date. Demedji's wig hangs down to his shoulders, reinforcing his neck, a device that seems to disappear in the reign of Niuserre.4 While the distinctly subordinate position of the unnaturally small Henutsen may argue for a date in the Fifth Dynasty, the intricate detailing of her coiffure, the absence of cosmetic lines around the eyes and brows, and the exquisitely delineated upper lips suggest an early date in this dynasty, as does the resemblance of Demedji's profile to that of Userkaf, the dynasty's first king. CHR
Notes:
- This was suggested in N. Scott 1952, pp. 116-17. The Ti buried at Saqqara shared some titles with Demedji's son, and an inscription in Ti's tomb mentions a son named Demedji.
- Unfortunately, a neutron-activation study of limestone objects including this statue could conclusively establish the origin of the stone by region but not by site; see Myers and Van Zelst 1977.
- N. Scott 1952, p. 116. This is odd, since Scott herself suggests that Demedji was the father of Ti, who served Niuserre, a king whose reign ended at the midpoint of the Fifth Dynasty.
- Cherpion 1998. The profile of Demedji's wig is similar to those of Ni-ankh-re's (ibid., fig. 28) and Ka-em-heset's (ibid., fig. 17), although it has a slightly sharper angle at the temples.
Provenance: Unknown
Bibliography: N. Scott 1952, pp. 116-19, ills.; Porter and Moss 1979, p. 729
126. Family Group
Limestone with remains of paint H. 73.5 cm (29 in.); w. 23 cm (9 in.); d. 25 cm (9 7/8 in.)
Brooklyn Museum of Art, Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund 37-I7E
Although the group is uninscribed, it was said to come from the same tomb as a number of offering stands bearing the name and various titles of Iru-ka-ptah and thus would probably represent that official and his family.
The tomb owner stands with hands clenched at his sides and left leg advanced. On the base beside that leg sits a woman, presumably his wife, carved at a much smaller scale than the man; her legs are tucked under her to her left, her left hand touches his shin, and her right arm is wrapped around his leg. Beside his right leg stands his small, naked son, who wears the sidelock of youth and holds his forefinger to his mouth.
The owner's large, helmetlike wig and somber expression contrast pleasingly with his almost childishly round cheeks and chin. His figure is skillfully modeled, considerable attention having been given to the structure of the muscles and bones of the arms and legs and to fine details such as the meeting of the collarbones at the base of the neck and the upcurving forefingers of the fists.
The wife's form is less modeled, but her small face with its faintly clouded expression holds the attention of the viewer; the child is not as distinctively rendered as either of his parents.
The striking disposition of this family group, with the smaller figures flanking the legs of the standing man, is not very frequently used—perhaps because, although it is formally very attractive, the disparities of scale and pose are cumulatively jarring.1
The form of the owner's hairstyle points to a date in the Fifth Dynasty, and that of the woman's would suggest a limit not much later than the reign of Niuserre;2 the plump yet delicate features of the owner are certainly not out of place in the first half of the same dynasty.3 MH
Notes:
- Most similar are two works in the Egyptian Museum, Cairo (CG 37 [Fay 1998, fig. 15] and CG 62)—both, by their appearance, Fifth Dynasty works from Saqqara. Vandersleyen (1973, pp. 14-15) discusses the formal aspects of family groupings.
- Cherpion 1998, pp. 105, 120-21 (the man), 116 (the woman).
- Compare the statue of Neferefre in Saleh and Sourouzian 1987, no. 38.
Provenance: Said to be from Saqqara
Bibliography: Cooney 1952, pp. 10-15; Porter and Moss 1979, pp. 691-92
Four statues of the garnary scribe Ni-Ka-Re
The location of the tomb of Ni-ka-re is unknown, but most probably it was at Saqqara, perhaps in an area south of the Step Pyramid of Djoser that was explored and then covered with rubble.1 Four of the statues from the tomb were acquired early in the twentieth century by different collectors (cat. nos. 127-130), and during the same period some blocks from the mastaba appeared on the art market.2 On them were carved the titles Priest of Re in the Sun Temple of King Niuserre and Priest of Kings Sahure and Niuserre;3 they indicate that Ni-ka-re's career was contemporary with or followed the reign of the Fifth Dynasty sovereign Niuserre. Ni-ka-re's principal occupation was related to the royal granary, and it is mentioned on all the documents concerning him that he was Chief of the Granary or Overseer of Granary Scribes.
Two reliefs in the Cleveland Museum of Art (64.91) show Ni-ka-re standing, accompanied by his eldest son, Ankh-ma-re, Chief of the Granary. Among Ni-ka-re's numerous titles, four names of Fifth Dynasty kings appear: Sahure, Neferirkare, Nefere-fre, and Niuserre.4 Sculpted in limestone highlighted with red, the two symmetrical reliefs are executed with great simplicity.5
The four surviving statues differ in size, material, theme, and level of sculptural refinement. The temporary grouping of these relatively accurately dated works in this exhibition thus illustrates the diversity of nonroyal art from the Fifth Dynasty, immortalizing the deceased in a multiplicity of ways. cz
Notes:
1 N. Scott 1952., p. 118; Spanel 1988, p. 53.
2 Cooney 1952, p. 8.
3 N. Scott 1952, p. 119.
4 Andreu 1997, p. 24.
5 Ibid., pp. 21-30.
127. Ni-ka-re, His Wife, and Their Son
Painted limestone H. 57.5 cm (22 5/8 in.)
Brooklyn Museum of Art, Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund 49.215
This statue depicting Ni-ka-re between two members of his family is as fine in quality as the group sculpture of Ni-ka-re, his wife, and their daughter (cat. no. 130), although it is in a different style. Here Ni-ka-re is flanked by his wife, Khuen-nub, and his son Ankh-ma-re, both of whom are standing. Despite the different postures of the figures, the three heads are aligned; thus, the central
figure is almost twice as large as the others.1 It is not his figure that attracts attention, whether because the secondary figures are proportionally bigger, or because Ni-ka-re's face has been damaged, or because the details of his body—for example, the pectorals— are rendered more schematically. Ni-ka-re wears a kilt with pleated side panel and knotted belt. A short, curly wig frames his face. His cubic seat is set against a wide slab that preserves the form of the original block.
Wife and son embrace Ni-ka-re tenderly, but with a distinction suggested by the position of the hands, Khuen-nub's right hand on her husband's shoulder and Ankh-ma-re's left around his father's waist.
Khuen-nub wears a medium-length wig, parted in the center. Along her forehead a series of rosettes, perhaps stylized curls, is surmounted by horizontal grooves.2 The modeling is precise, revealing arched eyebrows, the fold of the upper eyelid, the shape of the mouth, and the fleshy cheeks, which individualize the physiognomy. The very round and placid face is that of a young woman. Standing with her feet together and her left arm at her side, she wears a clinging, almost entirely sheer dress; only the V-shaped line of the bodice is visible. Although concealing certain anatomical details, the thin fabric reveals the curves of her high bosom, the vertical groove above the navel, the detail of the hipbone, and the pubic triangle.
By its symmetrical placement, the figure of Ankh-ma-re, who is also standing with feet together, establishes a balance, which is subtly broken by the movement of his right hand to his mouth, a gesture symbolizing childhood. Other conventional attributes of childhood are his nudity and the braided sidelock. The extensive modeling captures the chubbiness of a child's body—with its round belly and short arms. The plump face, made heart-shaped by the hairline, has a very individual quality, with its almond-shaped eyes, emphasized by a rim around the upper eyelid, arched eyebrows, short nose, and small mouth with dimples on either side. The contrast between the vividness of the secondary figures and the more conventional look of the central figure gives this group a very unusual charm, which the abundant remnants of red, yellow, and black paint reinforce.
In addition to the damage to Ni-ka-re's face, there are wide fractures in the base of this group.CZ
Notes:
- On the different proportions of the figures in the Ni-ka-re groups, see Vandersleyen 1973, pp. 13-25.
- On this hairstyle, see Cherpion 1998, p. 117.
Provenance: Probably Saqqara, south of precinct of Djoser
Bibliography: Brooklyn Museum Annual Report 1949-50, ill. on p. 4; Brooklyn Museum 1952, no. 16; Cooney 1952, pp. 2-11; N. Scott 1952, ill. pp. 118, 120, 122; Vandier 1958, p. 82, pl. 31; Hornemann 1951-69, vol. 5 (1966), pl. 1412; Fischer 1973, p. 8, n. 8, fig. 9; James 1974, p. 13, no. 36, pl. 19; Aldred 1978, p. 197, fig. 194; Porter and Moss 1979, p. 697; Romano 1990, p. 4; Feucht 1995, p. 406, n.2004
128. Ni-ka-re Seated
Red granite H. 54 cm (2.1/1 in.)
The Cleveland Museum of Art, Leonard C. Hanna Fund 1964.90
Ni-ka-re is depicted alone, sitting on a backless cubic seat; on top of the base in front, two columns of hieroglyphs are inscribed with his title and name: "[Chief] of Granaries, Ni-ka-re." He is dressed in a simple kilt. His legs are parallel and his arms are at his sides. His right hand grasps an enigmatic object, and his left is flat on his knee. The figure was carved from a quadrangular block of stone, whose original shape is suggested by the base of the seat. The face is framed by a short wig that follows the curve of the cheeks and conceals the ears. The curls are arranged in concentric rows separated by grooves. Ni-ka-re has large eyes, and the upper lid is emphasized with a slight fold, which ends at the external corner; the shapes of the eye and the iris were once highlighted in black paint. The face, with its schematically treated full mouth, short nose, and plump cheeks, has an accentuated roundness. The man's torso is slim, however, and flat, with very high pectorals that are subtly modeled. The muscles of the arm are barely visible, except at shoulder level. The hands are modeled schematically. The legs, treated with simplicity, are stocky, and the ankles are thick. A very shallow vertical groove runs the length of the back, and there are no shoulder blades. The compactness of the statue and the paucity of details can be explained by the hardness of granite, a highly prized stone, which the artist worked with extremely simple tools (cat. nos. 74, 75). CZ
Provenance: Probably Saqqara, south of precinct of Djoser
Bibliography: Art Quarterly 27 (1964), ill. p. 379; Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art51 (1964), ill. pp. 236-37, 263; Kozloff [1970], pp. 4-5; Porter and Moss 1979, p. 697; Spanel 1988, pp. 52-53, no. 7, pl. 7
129. Ni-ka-re as a Scribe
Red granite with painted details
H. 31 cm (12 1/4 in.)
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Rogers Fund, 1948 48.67
In this scribe statue Ni-ka-re is shown reading a long papyrus rolled at the ends. He is sitting cross-legged on a semicircular base, his left leg crossed over the right, as was the custom.1
The edge of the papyrus stands out in slight relief, and Ni-ka-re holds the ends firmly as though lingering over his reading. But the text is inscribed in such a way as to be readable by the viewer, not the scribe. It gives the identity of the figure: "Chief of the Granary, Ni-ka-re."
Viewed from the front, the statue seems to be inscribed within an isosceles triangle, with the pedestal forming the base. A side view reveals the attentive expression of the reader, head bent over the text placed on his raised knees. His square face has a low forehead; his oblique eyes, like his eyebrows and fine mustache, are outlined in black. The tip of the nose has broken off. The wig, also highlighted in black, is different from that worn by Ni-ka-re in other statues: it: is flared, and the hair is divided by a central part, leaving the earlobes uncovered. The forms of the body are ample, and the arms are separated from the trunk by a wide space, giving the illusion of depth. On the legs, the musculature of the right calf and the ridge of the tibia, which are barely visible, are individualized. The toes of the left foot, seen from the underside, are treated with extreme simplicity.
It is interesting to compare this representation of an important Fifth Dynasty official with the oldest Egyptian scribe statues, sculpted for sons of kings during the Fourth Dynasty. For example, the face of Prince Setka has much more clearly individualized features, and the anatomical details of his body are more richly satisfying (cat. no. 55). Nonetheless, this statue of Ni-ka-re, carefully executed in the very hard material granite, is remarkable for the subject's attentive expression (rare in Egyptian art) and for the touches of black paint emphasizing the details, which have disappeared from most other statues. CZ
Notes:
- G. Scott 1989, vol. 1, p. 23.
Provenance: Probably Saqqara, south of precinct of Djoser; Ben/ion collection
Bibliography: Hayes 1948, p. 61; Cooney 1952, pp. 7-9; Hayes 1953, p. 110; Vandier 1958, pp. 69-71, 575; Metropolitan Museum 1962, fig. 11; Porter and Moss 1979, p. 697; Hibbard 1980, p. 40, fig. 70; Profil du Metropolitan Museum 1981; Spanel 1988, p. 53; G. Scott 1989, vol. 1, pt. 2, pp. 56-57, no. 22
130. Ni-ka-re, His Wife, and Their Daughter
Painted limestone
H. 57 cm (22 1/2 in.); w. 22.5 cm (8 7/8 in.); d. 32.5 cm (12 3/4 in.)
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Rogers Fund, 1952 52.19
Painted in red, yellow, and black, this very fine limestone group depicts Ni-ka-re flanked by two members of his family, who are represented on a much smaller scale (their heads reach only to the top of his seat). At his left, Ni-ka-re's wife, Khuen-nub, is kneeling on the ground, her legs folded to the side in an attitude first adopted for royal couples in the Third Dynasty.1 Turned slightly away from him, she is affectionately embracing Ni-ka-re's leg with her right arm (the left has been lost). Their daughter, Khuen-nebti, stands on the other side, making a gesture similar to her mother's with her left arm.2 Like her mother's, Khuen-nebti's exterior arm has been damaged.
Ni-ka-re is seated on a cubic seat. He is dressed in a kilt with a pleated side panel. Only traces of the broad collar that once adorned his chest remain. His legs are parallel to each other and his arms are at his sides. With his right hand he grasps a cylindrical object; his left is flat on his knee. The figure was cut from a quadrangular block whose proportions were those of the base of the seat. The latter is unusually wide, supporting the two small figures. Ni-ka-re's short hair, which leaves the ears exposed, is treated as a series of concentric grooves, and the locks are not detailed. His face is broad, with round, high cheeks. The eyes are large, and the upper lid has a clearly delineated fold that ends at the outer corner. The lower lid forms a horizontal rim encasing the eyeball, which curves upward. The eyebrows are arched, with each indicated by a wide relief band that follows the curve of the eye and tapers to a point at the temple. The philtrum is prominent, and a shallow fold originating at the base of the nose delimits the cheek.
The full mouth with turned-up corners is precisely outlined, and the notch in the upper lip is clearly drawn. A slight depression indicating the clavicle appears under the necklace. The torso is thin and flat, with very high pectorals and nipples in relief. The semicircular navel has a vertical groove above it. The musculature of the arm is visible at shoulder level, and it appears again in the forearms, rendered through a play of horizontal and vertical planes. The shape of the arm is explored in unusual detail, and the elegance of the artist's style is also notable in the full treatment of the thin wrist and the precisely shaped elbow. The hands are carefully modeled, even though the left one is shown flat on the knee. The closed legs are relatively slender despite their thick ankles; the inner musculature is rendered with slight vertical grooves, which make the ridge of the tibia stand out. Although they are massive, the feet display subtle details, such as the delicate nails, the external curve of the foot pad, and the fine articulation of the toes and of the tendons just below the skin. The back, which does not rest against any support, is divided by a very slight vertical groove separating the shoulder blades. Finally, the notation of two very precise anatomical details shows how very careful was the treatment of the body: the contracted deltoid muscles and the individualized seventh cervical vertebra, at the base of the neck.3
Despite their small size, the two female figures received just as much attention from the sculptor. The face of Khuen-nub, plump and friendly like Ni-ka-re's, is framed by a medium-length wig that is parted in the center. Her natural hair is treated as it is in the other Ni-ka-re family group (cat. no. 127). A plain dress clings to the woman's body, revealing with a certain refinement her broad chest, slender hips, and a rounded belly marked with a depression for the navel. The young girl is depicted in the conventional nudity of childhood, even though she has an adolescent's body. Her face, which is less well preserved than her body, is set off by a charming hairstyle, often seen in tomb decorations: the hair is gathered into a braided ponytail from which a disk is suspended. CZ
Notes:
- For the Fourth Dynasty, the most famous example is the statue of Djedefre and his wife (Louvre, Paris, E 12627; see Ziegler 1997a, PP- 47-45», no. 3).
- The group displays many similarities to the Sekhem-ka group (Louvre, Paris, N 116, probably of the same period; see ibid., pp. 134-38, no. 37).
- Fischer 1965, pp. 171-72.
Provenance: Probably Saqqara, south of precinct of Djoser
Bibliography: N. Scott 1952, p. n6; Hayes 1953, frontis.; Fischer 1965, pp. 171-72, figs. 4, 5; Masterpieces of Fifty Centuries 1970, p. 82, no. 11; N. Scott 1973, p. 126, fig. 4; Fischer 1974, p. 8, n. 8; Fischer 1978, p. 90, n. 21, pl. 5B; Porter and Moss 1979, p. 697; Dorman, Harper, and Pittman 1987, p. 18; Spanel 1988, p. 53; Feucht 1995, p. 405