The papyrus of Nebseni, £125.00
Explore / Online Tours
Frontal view
Height: 75.500 cm
EA 29594
Ancient Egypt and Sudan
Egypt in the Old Kingdom
Wooden tomb statue of Tjeti
At the end of the Fifth and into the Sixth Dynasty (about 2345-2181 BC) there were new types of private burials, in which the statues, instead of being above ground in statue chambers, were placed underground in the tomb shaft or the burial chamber. These statues, mostly in wood, are typically quite small with characteristically mannered physiognomies and anatomies.
Uniquely in the history of Egyptian representations of the élite, these statue sometimes show men and women naked. This normally indicates lower status, but here it might symbolize youth through rebirth; this style may have been a short-lived fashion for statues of very high officials.
While these wooden tomb statues are usually slightly crudely carved, here the sculptor has carefully modelled the muscles on the torso and legs, and paid close attention to the detail of the face.
Tjeti's name and titles are inscribed on the base. These suggest that the statue originally came from the region of the town Akhmim in Upper Egypt, and specifically the necropolis (cemetery) of el-Hawawish which is associated with Akhmim in the Old Kingdom. Several tombs of men called Tjeti have been found there.