Royalty and the Court

Who is Who?

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Aa-akhti: Third Dynasty. Chief Architect and Royal Governor. Aa-akhti was wealthy and powerful. He was able to command a fine artist to carve decorations for his mortuary chapel. An image of Aa-akhti himself, dressed in an unusual long kilt, and surrounded by clear and lively hieroglyphs, can be seen in Egyptian Art in the Age of the Pyramids (item 18).

Ankh: Third Dynasty, about 2670 BCE. Ankh was a high official who lived in the time of king Djoser Ntjerkhet, when the Step Pyramid was being built. Two statues of Ankh are in the Exhibition, Egyptian Art in the Age of the Pyramids. In these two statues, Ankh appears as a pleasant and contented man. In one, he is wearing a garment made of two cheetah skins. These statues may have been placed in temples, rather than in his tomb. (items 14 & 15)

Ankhaf: Fourth Dynasty, about 2550 BCE. King's Son, Vizier to Khafre. He was the Overseer of All the King's Works, and would have had responsibility for the construction of Khafre's pyramid and temples. A fine bust of him can be seen in the Boston Museum of Fine Arts. The coloured statue shows a vigorous, confident middle-aged man.

Ankhesenmeryre I: Sixth Dynasty. Wife of Pepy I, mother of King Merenre, sister of Vizier Djau and Royal Wife Ankhesenmeryre II.

Ankhesenmeryre II: Sixth Dynasty. About 2250 BCE. Wife of Pepy I, and mother of Pepy II. She was the sister of Vizier Djau, and came from a prominent family at Abydos. It is possible that her mother, whose name was Nebet, was the woman vizier, Nebet. When her nephew, King Merenre died, her own son, Pepy II, became king at the age of six or seven. As regent, she directed the affairs of Egypt for about ten years, until the boy came of age. Despite her non-royal origins, Anhkesenmeryre II is depicted wearing the royal uraeus, the cobra goddess who protected the kings of Egypt. A famous statue shows her holding the young king on her lap. (item 172 in theEgyptian Art in the Age of the Pyramids)

 

Ankhmahor: Sixth Dynasty, about 2300 BCE. Vizier. Ankhmahor is famous for his beautiful tomb at Sakkara, near the pyramid of King Teti. It is sometimes called the ‘Tomb of the Physician' because of the scenes of circumcision. There are also scenes of jewelers, metalworkers and sculptors.

Ankhwah: Third Dynasty, about 2690-2610 BCE. Ship builder. An interesting statue, small but carved in a hard stone, shows him carrying his adze.

Atjema: Sixth Dynasty. Atjema was a wab priest attached to the Sun Temple of King Sahure. Though little is known of his career, the quality of his large, life-like statue makes it certain that he was valued member of the royal entourage. (item 185 in the Egyptian Art in the Age of the Pyramids)

Bakare: (also Bicheris, Baka, Baufre, Baefre) Fourth Dynasty. King(?) This prince may have briefly succeeded Khufu. He was involved in the struggle for succession after the death of Khufu.

Bebi: Fifth-Sixth Dynasties. Official. Bebi's title, Son of the House, suggests his job was to arrest people who had not paid their taxes.

Bunefer: Fourth Dynasty. About 2470 BCE. Wife of Shepseskaf. This woman seems to have exercised considerable power. When her husband died, it was she who conducted the funeral ceremonies, though these rites were usually conducted by a son or other close male relative.

Chephren: see Khafre

Cheops: see Khufu

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Demedji and Henutsen: Fifth Dynasty. Demedji, who appears in his statue to be a vigorous, powerful man, was Overseer of the Desert, Overseer of the King's Hunters, and Herdsman of the King's Flocks. Henutsen, his wife, was a priestess of the goddesses Hathor and Neith. Though the pair are husband and wife, they do not touch in their statue, and Henutsen is shown on a much smaller scale than her husband. (item 125 in the Egyptian Art in the Age of the Pyramids)

Djadjaemankh: Fourth Dynasty. Priest and Magician. Djadjaemankh is the lead character in a story from the Westcar Papyrus about King Sneferu. When the king is bored, Djadjaemankh advises him to take the royal boat out upon a lake, with young wives as the rowers. When one girl loses a hair ornament into the waters, Djadjaemankh is able to pile half the water up on top of the other to recover it. It is possible that the magician is simply a fictional character. There was a important official of the Sixth Dynasty named Djadjaemankh.

Djau: Sixth Dynasty. Djau was the brother of Pepy I's two queens, Ankhesenmeryre I and II. He was vizier of Egypt during the reign of his nephew, Pepy II. He was stationed at Abydos, where he received letters from the king. In later times, statues of Djau and his two sisters were placed in a small temple, and offerings were made to them every day. He is the only known non-royal man who had this honour.

Djedefre: Fourth Dynasty. King. About 2528-2520 BCE. (Also known as Redjedef.) Djedefre succeeded Khnum-Khufu, though there may have been disputes about the succession. When Khufu's heir, Kawab died, his widow Hetepheres II had married Djedefre. Djedefre planned a huge pyramid complex north of Giza at Abu Roash, but did not live to complete them. He was the first king to call himself Son of Re. A beautiful portrait head in quartzite of this king survives. (item 52 in the Egyptian Art in the Age of the Pyramids)

Djedkare Isesi: Fifth Dynasty. King. About 2381-2353 BCE. During his long reign, the arts flourished. Djedkare Isesi sponsored many building projects in which, according to inscriptions, he took great pleasure. Expeditions into Nubia and to Punt were undertaken. He was buried in a pyramid south of Sakkara.

Djoser: Third Dynasty. King, about 2630-2611 BCE. Djoser – also spelled Zoser – may have been the birth name of the king known to his contemporaries as Netjerikhet. He was one of the most powerful and influential of all Egyptian rulers. With his architect, Imhotep, he constructed the first large stone building in the world, the Step Pyramid.

The Step Pyramid is part of a huge complex (277 by 544 metres) of buildings, surrounded by a stone wall that replicated the walls of a royal palace. Although no two pyramid complexes are identical, Djoser set the basic model, of pyramid, subsidiary tomb, offering places, temples.

Underneath his tomb, a rabbit's warren of tunnels led to burials of family members, and galleries with over thirty thousand fine stone vessels, many already heirlooms when they were buried. Some of the subterranean chambers are paneled with blue-green faience tiles that mimic the woven mates that hung on the walls of Djoser's palace.

Djoser and Imhotep were able to organize the manpower and resources of Egypt on an unprecedented scale in order to build the first pyramid and a fine temple at Heliopolis. Many of Djoser's government officials are known from their tombs. Arts were strongly supported during this reign.

The memory of Djoser and Imhotep was honoured to the end of Ancient Egyptian history. The king's powerful features survive in several statues and an image of the god Geb from Heliopolis

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Harkuf: Sixth Dynasty. Nomarch and explorer. Harkuf was governor of Elephantine, at Aswan. His tomb at Qubbet el Hawa contains records of four expeditions into Sudan. These trade missions brought luxury items, such as ivory, ebony and cheetah skins from farther south in Africa into the royal court. On one occasion, he brought back a dancer, a pygmy.

Young King Pepy II wrote Harkhuf a letter expressing his delight at the prospect of seeing this man dance. Pepy urged Harkuf to take great care of this man from the Land of the Horizon Dwellers, instructing him to post good men near the stranger to keep him from falling off the boat on the way to the Residence. Harkuf was so delighted with the letter that he had it engraved on the cliffs outside of his tomb, where it can still be seen today.

Heka-ib: Sixth Dynasty. Nomarch. Heka-ib is the nick-name of Pepynakht, who ruled Elephantine and most of Upper Egypt towards the end of the reign of Pepy II. He had been so powerful and wealthy that he was worshiped as a god at Elephantine for hundreds of years after his death.

Hemiunu: Fourth Dynasty, reign of Khufu. Vizier. Hemiunu, possibly the son of Nefermaat and grandson of Sneferu, was one of the most important and powerful people of the Age of the Pyramids. He was buried in a huge mastaba near Khufu's pyramid. The title, Overseer of all the Construction Works of the King, identifies him as the man responsible for the building of the Great Pyramid. One of the most remarkable statues from the Age of the Pyramids shows him as a large, heavy-set man, with an intelligent, rather stern face. (item 44 or 45 in the Egyptian Art in the Age of the Pyramids)

Henutsen: Fourth Dynasty. About 2589-2566 BCE. Third wife of Khnum-Khufu and mother of Khafre. She was buried in a subsidiary pyramid beside her husband's.

Hesy-re: Third Dynasty. Vizier of Djoser Netjerikhet. Hesy-re was, among other things, the Chief Dentist. His large tomb at Sakkara was decorated with exquisite wooden panels which show a man of determination and authority. The skill of the artists who carved these panels has never been surpassed.

Hetep-heres I: Fourth Dynasty. Great Royal Wife of Sneferu, mother of Khufu, probably daughter of King Huni. Her beautiful carrying chair, furniture, and inlaid silver jewellery were found in a small shaft grave near the Great Pyramid. Her canopic chest and sarcophagus were in the tomb, but her body was present. (items 32 and 33 in theEgyptian Art in the Age of the Pyramids)

Hetepheres II: Fourth Dynasty. Queen. Daughter of Khnum-Khufu and Meritites. Wife of King's Eldest Son Kawab, her half-brother. After Kawab's death, she married Djedefre, another son of Khnum-khufu. She lived on after the death of her second husband, and was buried in a large mastaba at Giza with Kawab. Her daughter, Meresankh III, married King Menkaure. Through her daughter by Djedefre, Neferhetepheres, she may have been the grandmother of Userkaf, founder of the Fifth Dynasty. Some people see her interesting life as evidence for a struggle for power between branches of the royal family.

Hetepheres: Fifth Dynasty. Mother of Ra-wer. Archaeological detective work by John Cooney has identified a headless statue as one from a damaged mastaba at Giza that once contained a group statue of Ra-wer, his parents, and two children. The remaining torso, arm, and legs illustrates the Old Kingdom ideal of female bodily beauty. (item 131 in the Egyptian Art in the Age of the Pyramids)

Hetep-her-nebti: Third Dynasty. Queen of Djoser Netjerikhet. One of her titles is She who sees Horus and Seth. She is shown, on very small scale, standing by the king's ankles in a fragment from Heliopolis. (item 7-b in the Egyptian Art in the Age of the Pyramids)

Hetepni: Sixth Dynasty, about 2200 BCE. This tax collector reported in his mortuary inscription that he was responsible for "the counting of everything that crawled or flew in the water and in the marshland."

Hordjedef: Fourth Dynasty, about 2550 BCE. King's Son of Khnum-Khufu. For thousands of years after his death, he was honoured as a wise man. He is also known as Djedefhor.

Huni: Third Dynasty. Last king of this dynasty. Little is known about this king, who may have been the same person as Qahedjet.

Huti and Ketisen: Fourth Dynasty. Huti held positions high in the bureaucracy of the Fourth Dynasty. He and Ketisen, his wife, were each able to afford fine statues, and a relief in which they share a funerary meal. They were buried at Sakkara, north of the Step Pyramid. (items 85 and 86 in the Egyptian Art in the Age of the Pyramids)

Iai-ib and Khuaut: Fourth Dynasty, about 2530 – 2480 BCE. This Old Kingdom couple is remembered for a lovely pair statue in which they stand close together, Khuaut embracing her husband. They often appear in books and films as an image of married love. (item 83 in the Egyptian Art in the Age of the Pyramids)

Imhotep: Third Dynasty. Architect of the Step Pyramid. Imhotep was King Djoser Netjerikhet's Superintendent of all Works. His father may have been Kanofer, also an architect.

Imhotep was a genius; among other things, he built the first pyramid. The Step Pyramid complex, which he designed and directed, was the first large stone building in the world, and required over a million tons of limestone to be quarried, transported, and dressed. A study of the Step Pyramid complex will show that Imhotep and Djoser changed their minds many times in the construction, always enlarging the site. In later times, he was renowned as a writer and physician. More than two thousand years after this death, children were named after him, and his grave was a place of pilgrimage. Imhotep's tomb has not yet been found.

Impy: Sixth Dynasty. Official, son of the royal architect Nekhebu. Impy's unplundered tomb at Giza contained a cedar-wood coffin, and many fine copper vessels.

Inet-Kaes: Third Dynasty. Daughter of Djoser Netjerikhet. She is shown, at small scale, standing at her father's ankles on a fragment from Heliopolis. (item 7b in the Egyptian Art in the Age of the Pyramids)

Inkaf: Fourth Dynasty. Sculptor. Inkaf worked in the tomb of Queen Meresankh III. He is portrayed in the tomb, working on a statue of the queen.

Inti: Sixth Dynasty. Soldier. His tomb at Deshasha contains reliefs of an attack on a town in Palestine, and provides important information about warfare in the Age of the Pyramids.

Inti-shedu: Fourth Dynasty. Inti-shedu was Overseer of the Boat of the Goddess Neith. His tomb, in the Workmen's cemetery at Giza, was discovered in 1990. Five statues had occupied his serdab, four of which survive. Each shows a strong, muscular man, with large eyes that give his face a determined, slightly worried expression. The statues show him at various ages, from youth to confident middle age. The fifth statue had been made of wood, and disintegrated. The size and location of Inti-shedu's tomb show that he was not a member of the upper classes, but an artisan.

Nevertheless, his tomb echoes the structures of more expensive tombs, and he was able to produce or obtain fine images to assure his continued existence in the Afterlife. This suggests that people who were not members of the elite shared their beliefs in the afterlife, and similarly expected to survive death.

Irukaptah: Sixth Dynasty, about 2250 BCE. Irukaptah was Assistant Superintendent of the Embalming Works of the Cemetery. He was buried at Giza with his wife, Nefer-hetepes.

Itet: Third and Fourth Dynasty, about 2610-2580 BCE. Wife of a King's Son, the vizier Nefermaat. She and her husband supported innovation in the arts. Their mastaba tomb at Meidum, near one of Sneferu's pyramids, was filled with fine paintings and deep-cut reliefs which once contained colourful inlays. Her name is also spelled Atet. (item 25c in the Egyptian Art in the Age of the Pyramids)

Iti: Sixth Dynasty. Official of King Pepy I. When Iti's tomb was found intact at Gebelein, it contained a fine cedar-wood coffin and other luxury goods. The fact that this courtier was not buried near his king is an example of the decentralization of power during the Sixth Dynasty.

Itisen: Sixth Dynasty. Itisen was Overseer of Mortuary Priests. This would have been a very busy and lucrative profession. He had two statues made in which he was represented twice. A number of such ‘pseudogroup' statues exists. Do they show the person with his ka or do they show him at different stages of life? Or is the doubling a sort of insurance policy in case one or the other is broken? (item 187 in the Egyptian Art in the Age of the Pyramids)

Itush: Fifth Dynasty. This is the nickname of the secretary of king Djedkare-Isesi, Semen-ku-ptah. As befits a man whose name contains that of the god of craftsmen, Itush was also Palace Metallurgist and Treasurer. An extraordinary relief from his tomb shows one of his statues. The statue is that of a middle aged man with a highly individual face and skull. The sculptor managed to convey intelligence and curiosity as well as kindliness in the stone image. A statue like the one portrayed is called seshep-er-ankh in Ancient Egyptian, which means, ‘statue from life.' (item 145 in theEgyptian Art in the Age of the Pyramids)

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Ka'aper: Fourth Dynasty. A scribe and lector priest, he is best known for the very life-like wooden statue that was found in his tomb. He is shown as a portly, shrewd-looking man. Though Ka'aper was not a major official, he was able to have very fine statues in his tomb, showing the over-all high standards of the time.

Kagemni: Sixth Dynasty. Vizier. Kagemni began his career under Wenis, rising to vizier under Teti. His tomb at Sakkara has wonderful images of animals. A vizier Kagemni was remembered in Ancient Egypt as the author of a book of wise sayings.

Kahay: Fifth Dynasty. Singer. Kahay attracted royal attention by the beauty of his voice, and was given many titles, and a fine tomb, which he shares with his son, Nefer, at Sakkara, along the Wenis Causeway.

Vizier Kai: Fifth Dynasty, about 2450-2400 BCE. Vizier. Kai's tomb, excavated in 1850 at Sakkara, contained a beautiful, life-life statue with inlaid eyes made of rock crystal, calcite, and magnesite mounted in copper cells. Much of the paint of this statue is also preserved. (item 124 in the Egyptian Art in the Age of the Pyramids)

Katep and Hetep-heres: Fourth Dynasty. Katep's titles suggest he was in ‘middle management' in the administration of the Old Kingdom. The two are remembered in a fine statue which shows this husband and wife seated together, Hetep-heres' arm reaching behind her husband so that her hand can wrap around his waist. (item 82 Egyptian Art in the Age of the Pyramids)

Ka-pu-ptah and Ipep: Fifth Dynasty. This couple were buried at Giza. Their tomb had been much damaged, and it is not possible to tell if Ipep was the mother or wife of Ipep. In a pair statue, she holds or presents her companion in a way very similar to the gesture of the royal woman who stands with Menkaure. (item 133 in theEgyptian Art in the Age of the Pyramids)

Kawab: Fourth Dynasty. King's eldest son of Khnum-Khufu. He died before he could become king, and was buried in a fine tomb at Giza. His wife was Hetepheres II.

Khafre: Fourth Dynasty. King. About 2520-2494 BCE. Son of Khnum-Khufu. He was the builder of the Second Pyramid at Giza, and probable model for the face of the Great Sphinx. Many superb statues of Khafre graced his temples; a diorite statue shows him protected by the god Horus, embodied as a falcon whose wings support the king's head. Many fragments of other statues of this king exist. (item 58, 60 and 61 in the Egyptian Art in the Age of the Pyramids)

Menkuare Khamerernebty II: Fourth Dynasty. Wife of Menkaure. Khamerernebty II may be the woman who stands beside Menkaure in a famous pair statue found at the Valley Temple of Menkaure. She was the mother of Khuen-re. (item 67 in the Egyptian Art in the Age of the Pyramids)

Khekheretnebty: Fifth Dynasty. This King's Daughter was buried at Abusir with unusual contents: a number of fine tools.

Khentet-ka: Fourth Dynasty. This lady was the wife of a priest of Khafre. She and her husband shared a tomb at Giza, but each had his or her own serdab for statues. Khentet-ka and her husband had seventeen children, nine daughters and eight sons, but she chose to have only one son, Rudju, carved at her side on a limestone statue. Her statue shows Khentet-ka as a healthy, cheerful and strong woman, well able to cope with the demands of such a large family.

(item 80 in the Egyptian Art in the Age of the Pyramids)

Khent-kaues I: Fourth Dynasty. Daughter of King Djedefre, wife of King Shepseskaf. She may have been the mother of two kings of the Fifth Dynasty, Sahure and Neferirkare. Her tomb at Giza is unlike any other – in part a mastaba, in part a two-step pyramid. This tomb has many features usually associated with kings, and leads to speculation that Khent-kaues may have ruled independently as king.

Khent-kaues II: Fifth Dynasty. Wife of Neferirkare, mother of Neferefre and Niuserre. She may have ruled as king; she is shown wearing a royal uraeus on the decoration of her pyramid chapel at Abusir. She was the granddaughter of Khent-kaues I.

Khnum-Khufu: see Khufu

Khnumhotep and Niankhkhnum: Fifth Dynasty. Royal Manicurists and Hairdressers. Their joint tomb at Sakkara contains scenes of daily life that include barbering. Their status was high because during the course of their work they would have been permitted to touch the sacred body of the king. They are shown with wives and children in part of their tomb, but they occupy the innermost part without their families. Their affection for one another, shown by scenes of the two embracing, was clearly one of the most important aspects of their lives. It has been suggested that they were twin brothers.

Khufu: Fourth Dynasty. (also Cheops) King. About 2551-2528 BCE. Though his complete name was Khnum-khufu, he was usually refereed to as Khufu. Son of Sneferu and Hetepheres I, Khnum-Khufu is famous as the owner of the Great Pyramid at Giza. He reigned for at least twenty-three years, but little is known of the events of his reign. He did send mining expeditions to Sinai, and dispatched troops to the same area. For a thousand years after his death, his cult was maintained at Giza, and he was honoured as a good king. Later, however, his reputation changed, and he was remembered as a cruel tyrant. (item 34 in the Egyptian Art in the Age of the Pyramids)

Khuenra: Fourth Dynasty. King's Son of Menkaure and Khamerernebty. A fine mastaba at Giza records him enjoying scenes of musicians and dancers. A statue of him as a seated scribe seems to show a man of middle years, though he died before his father. (item 72 in the Egyptian Art in the Age of the Pyramids)

Memi: Fourth or Fifth Dynasty. Memi was a wab priest of a king. Though this is not a very high office, he was rich enough to have two pleasant statues made for his tomb. On one he had this inscription carved: "I had these statues made by the sculptor, who was satisfied by the payment I gave him." Ancient Egyptians were concerned with asserting their property rights, and frequently made it known that they had dealt justly with craftsmen. (item 77 in theEgyptian Art in the Age of the Pyramids)

Memi and Sabu: Fourth Dynasty. This husband and wife have left us little information about their role in Old Kingdom society, but instead have given us an unusual and charming image of conjugal affection. Memi, taller than his wife, reaches down to return her embrace, and rests his hand, familiarly, on her breast. The only title on the statue is "Royal Acquaintance" a term which may have been used for more distant relatives of the king. (item 84 in the Egyptian Art in the Age of the Pyramids)

Menkaure: Fourth Dynasty. King. About 2490-2472 BCE. (also known as Mycerinos) Menkaure's tomb at Giza is the smallest of the three Great Pyramids When it was new, the pyramid would have been very beautiful, graced with a casing of red granite up to about a third of its height. His Valley Temple was adorned with some of the finest statues ever made. (item 67 or 68 in the Egyptian Art in the Age of the Pyramids)

Merenre: Sixth Dynasty. King. About 2255-2246 BCE. Son of Pepy I and Ankhenesmeryre I, brother of Pepy II. Merenre enjoyed the support of powerful nobles, including his uncle Djau and the explorer Harkuf. During his reign, a group of Nubian rulers came to the frontier to meet with him, perhaps to discuss trade. Merenre ordered the excavation of a canal at Aswan, which would have facilitated the shipment of goods from Lower Nubia. He was probably still a young man at his death. The mummy of a young man, possibly the king himself, was found in his tomb when it was opened. (item 171 or 181 in the Egyptian Art in the Age of the Pyramids)

Mereruka: Sixth Dynasty. Vizier. Mereruka was married to a daughter of King Teti. His large tomb at Sakkara is the source of many of the images of daily life in the Age of the Pyramids. He is shown painting and listening to music, a cultured gentleman.

Meresankh III: Fourth Dynasty. Wife of Khafre, mother of prince Nebmakhet. Her tomb was provided for her by her mother, Hetepheres II. The two women ‘s affection for one another is shown clearly in the decoration.

Mer-Ib: Fourth Dynasty. Mer-ib was a ‘Royal Acquaintance' – perhaps a term to identify more distant members of the royal family, such as cousins of the king. He is remembered in a carved wooden panel that still keeps traces of the paint that once enlivened it. This wooden panel, and the few others which remain from the Old Kingdom, suggest the skill and sophistication of woodworking in those days. (item 78 in the Egyptian Art in the Age of the Pyramids)

Meryre-ha-ishetef: Sixth Dynasty. Official. Meryre-ha-ishetef was buried at Sedment. His tomb contained many fine wooden statues, showing him at various ages. The slender, intense images, in Sixth Dynasty style, are naked. (items 188 and 189 in the Egyptian Art in the Age of the Pyramids)

Metjen: Fourth Dynasty. This official was born during the time of Huni, last king of the Third Dynasty, and lived on into the reign of Sneferu. He held various administrative sites in the Delta. He is one of the earliest officials to have left a biography setting out his titles and a few details of his life, such as the fact that he inherited a very large and fine estate from his father. (item 28 in the Egyptian Art in the Age of the Pyramids)

Metjetji: Fifth Dynasty. Metjetji was Overseer of the King's Tenants. Although the exact location of his tomb is not known, many fragments and four fine statues from it are in museums. Two of the images from Metjetji's tomb are available as ROM electronic Postcards. (itemd 151-157 in the Egyptian Art in the Age of the Pyramids)

Mycerinos, Mycerinus: see Menkaure

N-Q

Nebet: Sixth Dynasty. Wife of King Wenis. A woman who was vizier of Egypt, probably in the Sixth Dynasty, though possibly later, during the First Intermediate Period.

Nefer: Fourth Dynasty, reign of Khufu. Nefer was a member of the royal family, buried at Giza in a fine mastaba. He was ‘Overseer of the Treasury,' a very powerful office. A reserve head, which greatly resembles the face in this relief, was found in his tomb. (item 79 in the Egyptian Art in the Age of the Pyramids)

Nefer: Fifth Dynasty. Singer, son of Kahay. He and his father and other family members shared a small but beautifully decorated tomb at Sakkara. He shows family members and pets at their daily round.

Neferirkare: Fifth Dynasty. King. About 2446-2438 BCE. (Also known as Kakai) Brother of Sahure, son of Khentkaues. Many important papyrus documents were found at Neferirkare's mortuary temple. These papyri have helped scholars to understand the economics and logistics of the cults of kings at the pyramids and temples in the Old Kingdom.

Three anecdotes reveal this king as kindly man. In one, the king accidentally touched a nobleman and priest, Ra-wer, during a ceremony. Ra-wer might have been held culpable for coming too close to the king's divine person. Neferirkare prevented any ill consequences by saying that the touch was a honour. It is clear from Ra-wer's own tomb, that the incident must have occurred when Ra-wer was a very old man, which suggests that he may have stumbled, and the king protected his old friend from embarrassment as much as from punishment.

On another occasion, the Vizier, Weshptah collapsed from a stroke while accompanying the king. The king showed great concern for his advisor. Neferirkare sent for his own physicians who were, however, unable to save the vizier.

The third incident involved the high priest of Memphis, Ptahshepses, who was given permission to kiss the king's foot rather than the ground before him.

Nefermaat: Fourth Dynasty. Vizier and son of King Sneferu. The tomb that he and his wife, Itet, shared at Meidum, near one of Sneferu's pyramids, was filled with vivid and innovative artwork. Nefermaat hoped that a new technique of carving images deeply into stone, then filling in the outlines with coloured pastes, would endure better than ordinary raised or sunk relief. Unfortunately, most of the coloured fillings shrank and fell from the walls. Enough remains, though, to suggest the beauty of the tomb when new. Several pieces of this work are in Egyptian Art in the Age of the Pyramids.

Nefertiabet: Fourth Dynasty. King's Daughter, sister of Khufu. Nefertiabet is known for a fine slab stele which maintained most of its colour, and for a small and rather charming statue, which shows her as a young woman of individual character and sweetness combined with strength. (item 50 in the Egyptian Art in the Age of the Pyramids)

Neuserre: Fifth Dynasty. King. About 2420-2389 BCE. (Also Niuserre) Son of Neferirkare and Khentkaues. During his twenty-five year reign, he built a Sun Temple, portions of which still survive. The decoration of this complex must have been breathtaking. Fragments which survive show the seasons, full of wonderful animal life. His memory was honoured in later times. (item 119 in the Egyptian Art in the Age of the Pyramids)

Ni-ka-re: Fifth Dynasty. Ni-ka-re was Overseer of the Royal Granary, and a very wealthy man. Four fine statues of him, two with family members, survive from his tomb. Khuen-nub, his wife, is shown with him in two statues, and his on Ankh-ma-re and daughter Khuen-nebti appear on one each. Khuen-nub and her children are shown on smaller scale than Ni-ka-are, but in both statues the liveliness of the carving seems to make them the more sympathetic characters. (items 127 - 130 in the Egyptian Art in the Age of the Pyramids)

Nitiqrit: Sixth Dynasty. King(?) Possibly about 2152-2150 BCE. (Also, Nitocris) No archaeological evidence has yet been found for this woman, who may have been the last ruler of the Old Kingdom. She was listed in the Turin Canon as king after Merenre II, a son of Pepy II, and is also mentioned by Manetho. The Greek historian, Heroditus told a story of her as a beautiful and brilliant woman who avenged her brother's murder, then committed suicide. Her formal name would have been Netjerkare Siptah.

Nymaathap: Third Dynasty. King's Wife of Nebka, probably king's daughter of Khasekhemwy, and Mother of the King's Children. Djoser was her son. Metjen carried on her mortuary cult after she died.

Pepy I: Sixth Dynasty. King. About 2321-2287 BCE. Pepy's reign saw difficulties at court and abroad. There may have been an assassination attempt by one of his queens. Pepy relied on non-royal supporters such as Weni, who heard the case against the queen, in secret, and who also led armies to defend the borders. Art flourished during his reign; a slightly over-life size copper statue of Pepy, and one of his son Merenre, show the skill of his court. Exquisite small objects made of calcite, ivory, and stone have also survived. His pyramid complex at South Sakkara, which had subsidiary pyramids for several of his queens, has recently been restored. (item 170 in the Egyptian Art in the Age of the Pyramids)

Pepy II: Sixth Dynasty. King. about 2246-2152 BCE. Son of Pepy I, brother of Merenre. Pepy II came to the throne as a child, and lived to an advanced old age, perhaps over a hundred. During his childhood, Egypt was ruled by his mother, Ankhenesmeryre II. In his early years, Pepy II enjoyed the support of his uncle, Djau, and the southern magnate, Harkuf. Both his southern and northern frontiers had his attention; large expeditions travelled to Nubia and Palestine to trade for luxury items. In his ninety-six years on the throne, Pepy married several times, and outlived most of his wives and many of his children. Later texts tell of his infatuation for Sasenet, one of his generals. He was buried in a pyramid with Pyramid Texts at Sakkara, the last king of the Age of the Pyramids. (item 172 or 176 in theEgyptian Art in the Age of the Pyramids)

Peseshet: Fifth Dynasty. Doctor, and Overseer of Doctors. This noblewoman served Queen Nebet, wife of King Wenis. Peseshet was also Overseer of the Ka Servants of the Queen's Mother. She is represented on a large false door in the tomb of Akhethotep at Giza, but with no mention of how she might have been related to him, or to any other man. It is possible that she was unmarried.

Ptahshepes of Sakkara: Fourth and Fifth Dynasties. Ptahshepses was brought up at court during the time of king Menkaure. He married the daughter of king Shepseskaf, Princess Khamaat. His biography tells us that he served seven kings: Menkaure, Shepseskaf, Userkaf, Sahure, Neferirkare, Raneferef, and Neuserre. Such biographical information is very useful in trying to understand the chronology of the Age of the Pyramids. If one man lived through all these reigns, he must have been very old when he died, and the total time cannot be much more than a hundred years. Ptahshepses had many titles, most of them religious. His most important title was High Priest of Ptah. King Neferirkare granted him the honour of kissing the king's foot, instead of the ground in front of it, as other courtiers did.

Ptahshepses of Abusir: This Ptahshepses almost certainly knew the older Ptahshepses mentioned above. Ptahshepses of Abusir was vizier to Neuserre, whose daughter, Khamerernebty, he married. He was honoured with the title sa nesew – king's son. Another of his titles was Overseer of all the Works of the King. In 1994, an inscription on a block from one of the small pyramids of Neferirkare's wives, named Ptahshepses as the supervisor of its construction. Ptahshepses is remarkable for having the largest private tomb of the Old Kingdom.

Qahedjet: Third Dynasty, about 2640 BCE. King. Very little is known about Qahedjet. His only monument shows him wearing the White Crown, being embraced by the god Horus. The king and the god are shown the same size, as equals and friends. This beautiful image is one of the oldest to depict a god as human, with an animal head. Qahedjet may be the Horus name of Huni. (item 9 in the Egyptian Art in the Age of the Pyramids)

Qar: Sixth Dynasty. Qar's full name was Meryre-nefer. He was buried at Giza, as would suit a man whose titles showed that he had responsibilities in connection with the pyramid towns of Khufu, Khafre and Menkaure, while being a tenant of the Pyramid of Pepy I. In his tomb, he is often shown in company with a man named Idu, who may have been the owner of an adjacent mastaba. The relationship between the two men is not clear, but as Idu is shown on a smaller scale than Qar, they were probably father and son. (items 195 and 196 in the Egyptian Art in the Age of the Pyramids)

R-S

Rahay: Fourth Dynasty. Artist who worked in the tomb of Meresankh III. He was able to leave his own image, named, in the tomb, and thus share in the offerings left for the princess.

Ra-wer of Giza: Fourth Dynasty to Fifth Dynasty. Rawer held priestly offices under several Fourth Dynasty kings, but lived on into the reign of Neferirkare. He was an intimate friend of the royal family, whose elaborate tomb contained many statues and images of himself and his family (see Hetepheres, catalogue 131). One exquisite relief of Rawer himself was carved from calcite, a stone seldom used for non-royal people. A story in his tomb concerns the kindness of King Neferirkare. (item 144 in the Egyptian Art in the Age of the Pyramids)

Ra-wer of Sakkara: Sixth Dynasty. Vizier. Ra-wer's tomb at Sakkara seems to have been deliberately damaged after his death, and his name erased. No relatives are mentioned in his tomb, nor were the usual mortuary provisions present.

Redjedef: see Djedefre

Redjief: Third Dynasty. King's Daughter. A black basalt statue of her may be the oldest image of a royal woman. Her serious, resolute expression resembles King Djoser. (item 16 in the Egyptian Art in the Age of the Pyramids)

Sabu: Fifth and early Sixth Dynasties. High Priest of Ptah at Memphis, favorite of Wenis and Teti. His informal name was Ibebi. He was succeeded by another Sabu, this one nick-named Tjety. The inscriptions reveal that, until the time of the second Sabu, there had always been two High Priests of Ptah.

Sahure: Fifth Dynasty, about 2490-2475 BCE. King. During this king's reign, the cult of the sun god, Re continued to be very important. He built a Sun Temple as well as a pyramid. Though his Sun Temple has never been located, and his pyramid and its temples are now dilapidated, both were originally adorned with exquisite carvings, some of which can be seen in Egyptian Art in the Age of the Pyramids. He moved the royal cemetery to Abusir. International trade flourished in his reign, and expeditions were sent to Sinai and Sudan. (item 109 in the Egyptian Art in the Age of the Pyramids)

Sasenet: Sixth Dynasty. General and, according to later stories, intimate friend of Pepy II.

 

 

Sekhemkhet: Third Dynasty. King. About 2611-2605 BCE. Sekhemkhet planned to be buried in a pyramid complex even bigger than Djoser's, but his monument was never completed. A unique calcite sarcophagus, sealed, was found in a burial chamber underneath his unfinished pyramid. However, when the seal was broken, it was clear that no body had ever been placed inside. A set of lovely golden bangles was found in the tomb, and the mummy of the king himself may yet be discovered in one of the many unexplored passages.

Sebni and Mekhu: Sixth Dynasty. Sebni and his father, Mekhu, were noble explorers stationed in the south of Egypt. They were soldiers and traders, whose work took them into Lower Nubia. On one expedition, Mekhu lost his life. His son set out with troops and a hundred donkeys loaded with presents and trade goods to retrieve his father's body so that he could bring it back to Egypt for embalming and proper burial in a cliff tomb above Elephantine.

On his way back to Egypt, Sebni sent gifts of Nubian goods, including an elephant tusk, to the Residence. Pepy II responded to Sebni's gift and his virtuous behaviour by sending embalmers and all the necessary equipment, of royal quality, to prepare Mekhu for eternity. Sebni then proceeded to Memphis with all the goods his father would have brought as well as his own, and was rewarded for his enterprise, filial piety, and good sense by gifts of land. The tomb he shares with his father can still be visited at Aswan.

Semen-ku-ptah: see Itush

Senedjemib: Fifth Dynasty. Vizier of King Djedkare Isesi. His mastaba at Giza records three letters written to him in the king's own handwriting, offering evidence that kings were literate in the Age of the Pyramids. He is one of several officials from the Old Kingdom who seem to have formed friendships with their kings. Many members of his family also served at court. At least four of his descendents followed him as vizier.

Sepa: Third Dynasty. Official. Sepa had many titles, including Chief of the Tens of the South, and Royal Acquaintance. He may have lived during the reign of King Djoser. Two almost life-size stone statues of him are the oldest large non-royal images known. (item 12 in theEgyptian Art in the Age of the Pyramids)

Setka: Fourth Dynasty. King's Son of Djedefre. Setka did not live to become King of Egypt. He is shown in a very fine, though small, red porphyroid granite statue seated as a scribe, to show that King's Sons were literate men, capable of writing and receiving letters, and understanding the business of the country. Several King's Sons were remembered after their deaths as men of wisdom as well as learning. In his statue, Setka appears soft-bodied, even plump; rulers were usually shown muscular and energetic. (item 250 in theEgyptian Art in the Age of the Pyramids)

Shepseskaf: Fourth Dynasty. King. About 2472-2467 BCE. Successor and probably son of Menkaure. Shepseskaf married his sister, Khentkaues I. Choosing not to be buried at Giza, he built a large mastaba in the shape of a sarcophagus at Sakkara South. In another break with tradition, his funeral was conducted by another of his wives, Bunefer.

Sneferu: Fourth Dynasty, about 2575-2551 BCE. King. Sneferu, who was remembered in folktales as a kindly ruler, ordered construction of at lest three huge pyramids, and three or four small ones. There would certainly have been full employment in Egypt during his reign! On carved blocks from his temple, women representing his estates bring offerings. Other pieces of relief, showing a sed-festival, may well come from one of his buildings. (item 22a or 22b in the Egyptian Art in the Age of the Pyramids)

Sneferu-nefer: Fifth dynasty. Sneferu-nefer was a musician at court, Overseer of Palace Singers and Overseer of Entertainments. The responsibility to entertain the divine king and his family, and to arrange music for religious ceremonies was a serious one, and well-rewarded in the Old Kingdom. Sneferu-nefer is shown as a naked youth in a fine painted limestone statue. A number of nude statues are known from the late Old Kingdom; they may have suggested that the deceased was ready to be born again into the next life, where he would have eternal youth. (item 135 in the Egyptian Art in the Age of the Pyramids)=

Sistrum Teti: Sixth Dynasty. King. About 2323-2291 BCE. Teti was first king of this dynasty, the last of the Age of the Pyramids. His viziers were Kagemni and Mereruka. Teti was buried in a pyramid at Sakkara, with Pyramid Texts on the walls. According to the historian Manetho, he was assassinated. (item 182 in the Egyptian Art in the Age of the Pyramids)

T-ZTjau: Sixth Dynasty. King's Son. His full name was Tjau-merenre-nakht. He had many important titles, including Seal Bearer of the King of Lower Egypt.

(item 186 in the Egyptian Art in the Age of the Pyramids)

Tjeti: Sixth Dynasty. Tjeti probably lived during the time of King Pepy I and Merenre. He may have been part of a powerful provincial family who served the kings at Memphis but were buried at El Hawawish near Akhmim. As Seal-Bearer of the King of Lower Egypt, Tjeti would have exercised the powers of a governor in the South. Tjeti had several fine wooden statues carved, showing him at various stages of his life, from his slender and active youth to his sturdy middle age. The youthful statue shows him naked, as was the custom in the Sixth Dynasty, while the image of him in his maturity shows him wearing the long kilt associated with high office. As Seal-Bearer of the King of Lower Egypt , Tjeti would have exercised the powers of a governor in the South. (items 190 and 191 in the Egyptian Art in the Age of the Pyramids)

Unas: see Wenis

Userkaf: Fifth Dynasty. King. About 2465-2458 BCE. Userkaf built a pyramid at Sakkara, very near to Djoser's Step Pyramid. He was the first king to build a Sun Temple, at Abusir. Fine images of the king and his courtiers attest to the skill of craftsmen at this time. (item 100 in the Egyptian Art in the Age of the Pyramids)

Weni: Fifth and Sixth Dynasties. Expedition leader. Weni was an official who rose in prominence during the reigns of the five kings whom he served, ending his career as Overseer of Upper Egypt. The story of his long life and many adventures comes from his tomb chapel at Abydos In it, he tells of five military campaigns that he led into Syria. He enjoyed a close friendship with King Pepy I. The king even called upon Weni to hear a case, in secret, against a royal wife. Weni was discreet however, and after boasting of the honour, did not leave any information about the details of the case.

Wenis: Fifth Dynasty. King. About 2353-2323 BCE. Wenis was the first king to have the Pyramid Texts inscribed in his tomb. His long reign of over thirty years was generally prosperous, though scenes of starving nomads survive from his causeway. Whether these people represent the first evidence of the desiccation of North Africa at this time or not cannot be determined; they may be purely symbolic of the miserable state of people who live beyond the king's power. The construction of the causeway from his valley temple to his pyramid required several earlier tombs to be dismantled and/or buried. This preserved, among others, the tombs of Kahay and Nefer, Niankhkhnum and Khnumhotep. (Also known as Unas.) (item 122 in the Egyptian Art in the Age of the Pyramids)

Wepemnefret: Fourth Dynasty, about 2551-2528, reign of Khufu. This King's Son was an Overseer of Royal Scribes, Chief of the Tens of the South, admiral, and priest of many cults. He had a very large tomb at Giza. A slab stele from his tomb was preserved intact, with all its wonderful colour, and vivid details. Every hieroglyph is a work of art in itself: frogs, vultures, lionesses and a variety of birds appear almost alive. (item 52 in the Egyptian Art in the Age of the Pyramids)

Zanakht: Third Dynasty. About 2649 – 2630 BCE. Zanakht (also spelled Sanakht) was the first King of the Third Dynasty. He was probably the brother of Djoser. He was the first king to enclose his name in a cartouche. An image of him, smiting enemies, was found in the Sinai. He is also known as Nebka.