Fragmentary limestone seated family group statue

Object(s) photograph: Site: Giza; view: G 1039

Four fragments of limestone seated family group statue; head and upper torso of woman wearing shoulder length wig and broadcollar, seated with proper right arm around shoulders of her husband; half of base with lap and legs of female figure; head and upper torso of man wearing short curled wig, with fragment of his wife's hand on his proper right shoulder; half of base with lap and legs of male figure, as well as, lower portion of nude male child standing between couple's legs; inscribed for Mertash and his son Senenu: vertically on side of base: [rx nswt jmAxw xr nTr aA jmj-r pr-HD mrtAS] the royal acquaintance, revered in the presence of the great god, overseer of the treasury, Mertash; in front of boy: [sA=f smsw sS snnw] his eldest son, the scribe, Senenu.

ID

HM_6-19763
Department

Hearst Museum, Berkeley
Classification

Sculpture
Findspot

Mastaba G 1039
Material

Limestone
Dimensions

23.5 x 18.2 cm (9 1/4 x 7 3/16 in)
Credit Line

Phoebe A. Hearst Museum of Anthropology, Hearst Egyptian Expedition
Object Ownership Information

Phoebe A. Hearst Museum of Anthropology, University of California, Berkeley
Period

Old Kingdom, Late Dynasty 5 or Dynasty 6
Date of Register Entry

1903–1904
Attested

Senenu (in G 1039)
Owner

Mertash (G 1039)
Object owned by

Phoebe A. Hearst Museum of Anthropology
Remarks

Upper fragment of female figure visible in photographs of in situ G 1039 statue deposit (see C10347_OS through C10359_OS).

G 1039
- Site Name Western Cemetery

Lutz, Henry F. Egyptian Statues and Statuettes in the Museum of Anthropology of the University of California. University of California Publications. Egyptian Archaeology 5. Leipzig: J.C. Hinrichs, 1930.
- Date: 1930

Lutz, Henry F. Egyptian Statues and Statuettes in the Museum of Anthropology of the University of California. University of California Publications. Egyptian Archaeology 5. Leipzig: J.C. Hinrichs, 1930, pp. 24-26, figs. 26, 27, pls. 36a, b, 37a, 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. 54.

Ancient People

Mertash (G 1039)
- Type Owner
- Remarks Possible owner of G 1039. Husband of Inetkaes (proposed relationship to Inetkaes according to Reisner). Fragmentary limestone seated family group statue (Hearst 6-19763) of Mertash, his wife, and his son Senenu (only inscriptions naming Mertash and Senenu preserved); Mertash identified as [rx nswt jmj-r pr-HD] royal acquaintance, overseer of the treasury; upper fragment of female figure found in G 1039 vestibule, deposit of statues in debris just E of E wall.
Senenu (in G 1039)
- Type Attested
- Remarks Son ([sA=f smsw] his eldest son) of Mertash (possible owner of G 1039). Fragmentary limestone seated family group statue (Hearst 6-19763) of Mertash, his wife, and his son Senenu (only inscriptions naming Mertash and Senenu preserved); Senenu identified as [sS] scribe; upper fragment of female figure found in G 1039 vestibule, deposit of statues in debris just E of E wall.