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Fragment of limestone statue of Meresankh III

Object(s) photograph: Site: Giza; view: G 7530-7540

Fragment of limestone statue of Meresankh III, part of base and feet, belongs with 27-5-3 and 27-5-7; base painted black, feet yellow, name of Meresankh written in hieroglyphs on top of base. Illustration: Yes with hieroglyphs

Details

  • ID
    HUMFA_27-5-18
  • Department
    Harvard University-Boston Museum of Fine Arts Expedition
  • Classification
    Sculpture
  • Findspot
    G 7530-7540: pit G 7530 A, debris
  • Material
    Limestone
  • Dimensions
    Height: base: 2 cm; feet: 5.1 cm Width: 12.8 - 13 cm Length: 10.5 cm Thickness: ca 5 cm
  • Credit Line
    Harvard University–Boston Museum of Fine Arts Expedition
  • Object Ownership Information
    MFA accession number: 30.1457a
  • Date of Register Entry
    05/15/1927
  • Owner
    Meresankh III (G 7530-7540)
  • Remarks
    MFA 30.1457: a) 27-5-3 (lower legs) + 27-5-18 (base with feet) + b) 27-5-7 (head)
  • Problems/Questions
    MFA accession number verified

Tombs and Monuments 1

Published Documents 3

Unpublished Documents 6

Full Bibliography

  • Dunham, Dows, and William Kelly Simpson. The Mastaba of Queen Mersyankh III (G 7530-7540). Giza Mastabas 1. Boston, Museum of Fine Arts, 1974, pp. 8, 23, pl. 17c-e.

    Fay, Biri. "Royal Women as Represented in Sculpture during the Old Kingdom. Part II: Uninscribed Sculptures." In Christiane Ziegler, ed. L'art de l'ancien empire égyptien. Paris: Musée du Louvre, 1999, pp. 105, 110, 114, 128, fig. 6.

    Fay, Biri. "Royal Women as Represented in Sculpture dunring the Old Kingdom." In Nicolas Grimal, ed. Les Critères de Datation Stylistiques à l'Ancien Empire. Cairo: Institut français d'archéologie orientale, 1998, pp. 163, 169, 177-178, figs. 8a-d, 9a-b.

    Porter, Bertha, and Rosalind L.B. Moss. Topographical Bibliography of Ancient Egyptian Hieroglyphic Texts, Reliefs, and Paintings 3: Memphis (Abû Rawâsh to Dahshûr). Oxford: The Clarendon Press, 1931. 2nd edition. 3: Memphis, Part 1 (Abû Rawâsh to Abûsîr), revised and augmented by Jaromír Málek. Oxford: The Clarendon Press, 1974, p. 199.

People 1

Ancient People

  • Meresankh III (G 7530-7540)

    • Type Owner
    • Remarks Owner of G 7530-7540.Granddaughter of King Khufu, builder of the Great Pyramid, and wife of either Khafre or Menkaure. Her unique underground chapel (labeled G 7530-7540) preserves beautifully carved and painted scenes of the queen and her royal family, as well as servants, artisans, and funerary priests. The scenes also depict the sort of rich burial goods that would have been placed in Meresankh’s tomb: statues and fine furniture; boxes containing food, clothing, and jewelry; even a representation of the black granite sarcophagus that was actually found in situ in her burial chamber. Chapel entrance architrave, jambs, reveals and drum inscribed for Meresankh, idenitifed as [mAAt Hr stX wrt Hts nbwj xt Hr wrt Hst DHwtj smrt Hr mrt=f sAt nswt n Xt=f Hmt nswt mrt] seer of Horus and Seth, great one of the hetes-scepter of the Two Lords, khet-priestess of Horus, great of praises of Thoth, companion of Horus, his beloved, king's daughter of his body, beloved king's wife; in situ in G 7530-7540. Appears in chapel relief of main room: seated holding lotus (south wall); standing with her mother (east wall), idenitifed as [wrt Hts] great one of the hetes-scepter; on pillars (north wall), idenitifed as [tjst Hr] intimate(?) of Horus; seated at offering table, standing north of false door and on central pillar, and with her mother and son (west wall), idenitifed as [Hm-nTr DHwtj wrt Hts nbtj Hm-nTr bApf Hm-nTr HwtHr nbt jwnt smAwt mrjj nbtj] priestess of Thoth, great one of the hetes-scepter of the Two Ladies, priestess of Bapef, priestess of Hathor Mistress-of-Dendera, consort of him who is beloved of the Two Ladies; in situ in G 7530-7540. Also appears on all walls of offering (west) room; in situ in G 7530-7540. Architrave on north wall of north room inscribed for Meresankh; uninscribed statues may also represent Meresankh (along with other female family members); in situ in G 7530-7540. Black granite sarcophagus (Cairo JE 54935) inscribed for Meresankh, idenitifed as [xrp sSmtjw SnDt] director of butchers of the 'Acacia House'; in situ in burial chamber of G 7530-7540. Incomplete limestone statue of Meresankh (MFA 30.1457) and pair statue of Meresankh and Hetepheres II (MFA 30.1456); found displaced in debris of main room. Mother ([mwt=f] his mother) of Nebemakhet (owner of G 8172 = Lepsius 86). Appears in relief of inner chapel (above doorway in eastern wall), identified as [mAAt Hr stX wrt Hts wrt Hst Hmt nswt] seer of Horus and Seth, great one of the hetes-scepter, great of praises, king's wife; in situ in G 8172. Also mentioned in the tomb of her steward Khemetnu (owner of G 5210).