Limestone relief slab from the tomb of Rehotep

From Meydum, Egypt
4th Dynasty, around 2600 BC

Rehotep seated at an offering table

Rehotep was a prince of the Fourth Dynasty, the son of King Sneferu. He served as high priest at Heliopolis, the cult centre for the sun-god Re. Rehotep married Princess Nefret, and their twin mastabas were built near the Meydum pyramid. Stunning limestone statues of the pair are now in the Cairo Museum. The British Museum contains this fragment of an offering niche or false door from the tomb.

Rehotep is seated in front of a table of bread, above which are the hieroglyphic names of some important offerings, such as incense, eye-paint, wine and dates. To the right of that is a list of linen, surmounted by three hawks. Other offerings are named at the bottom.

Traces of paint on the stone show that the relief was originally very colourfully decorated.

S. Quirke and A.J. Spencer, The British Museum book of anc (London, The British Museum Press, 1992)

A.J. Spencer, Early Egypt, The rise of civil (London, The British Museum Press, 1993)

W.M.F. Petrie, Medum (London, D. Nutt, 1892)

T.G.H. James (ed.), Hieroglyphic texts from Egyp-9, Part 1, 2nd edition (London, The British Museum Press, 1961)