Category:
Sculpture in the round, statues, human / gods and goddesses statues
Date:
Ancient Egyptian period, New Kingdom, Fifth Dynasty (2494-2345 BCE) or Sixth Dynasty (2345-2181 BCE)
Provenance:
Upper Egypt, Giza, Saqqara (Tomb D10, North of the Step Pyramid)
Material(s):
- Rock, limestone
- Rock, granite, pink granite
Height (including the base):
54 cm
Hall:
Ancient Egyptian Antiquities
Description
Pink granite statue of Tepemankh as a seated scribe unfolding a papyrus scroll on his lap. The statue rests on a limestone plinth bearing a hieroglyphic text that translates as “The only companion, Tepemankh”.
Tepemankh
Tepemankh bore the titles of “Vizier” and “Chief Justice”. He was contemporaneous with either King Unas (2375–2345 BCE) or Pepi II (2278–2184 BCE). At that time, the vizier was appointed by the Pharaoh as the head of Egypt’s mighty administrative system, Egypt had effectively been run by a class of educated civil servants, who reported to the vizier.
By having himself depicted as a scribe, Tepemankh declares himself to be among the elite group of literate individuals, thus following the Egyptian tradition of depicting great officials as men of wisdom and learning.
The information given here is subject to modification/update as a result of ongoing research.
References
- Ludwig Borchardt, Catalogue général des antiquités égyptiennes du Musée du Caire: Statuen und Statuetten von Königen und Privatleuten im Museum von Kairo: Nr 1-1294 , Teil 1, Text und Taffln zu Nr. 1-380 (Berlin: Reichsdruckerei, 1911): 116; Blatt 36, Nr. 162.
- Auguste Mariette and G. Maspero, Les mastabas de l'Ancien Empire: fragment du dernier ouvrage d’Auguste Édouard Mariette (Paris: F. Vieweg, 1889): 193-195; 456-457.
- Bertha Porter, Rosalind L. B. Moss, Ethel W. Burney and Jaromir Malek, Topographical bibliography of ancient Egyptian hieroglyphic texts, reliefs, and paintings. Vol. III: Memphis, Part 2: Saqqara to Dahshur (Oxford: Griffith Institute, 1981): 483.
- Hermann Ranke, Die ägyptischen Personennamen I, Verzeichnis der Namen (Glückstadt: J. J. Augustin, 1935): 380, 2.