DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4194#0017
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THE MASTABA OF PTAHHETEP AND AKHETHETEP.
b
similar difference in the quality of the stone,
and is doubtless largely due to it. The acme
of excellence is reached in the charming hiero-
glyph fig. 69. In the case of the first and last
of the animals in the upper row of PL xxii.
the inner lines seem to be outlines which have
been abandoned, though in the former case
these lines seem to be really the more correct.
The amount of painted detail in the chamber
which was not utilised by the sculptor, or was
added to his work afterwards, is considerable.
Probably such details were often intentionally
left uncut, either as being too minute or
in order that the scene might not become
confused ; but in other cases carelessness or
haste seems to have prevented completion.
Signs are not wanting that the draughtsman
laid down his designs not only in outline, but,
roughly at least, in colour also; partly perhaps
as an additional guide to the sculptor, partly
to satisfy himself as to the general scheme.
Here and there, as often happens in other
tombs, names and titles of servitors are but
roughly cut out or incised, or else are indicated
only in colour (ink?). Of these survivals in
paint the most important are the two nome-
signs on the south wall, which have been read
with fair certainty. Very interesting too are
the painted bushes in the desert scene (PI. xxii.).
They are now much obliterated, and appear to
have been too conventional in colour and out-
line to aid much in the identification of the
ancient flora.1 The gap in the upper register
1 Those who do not know the Egyptian desert, or who
are only familiar with the barren wastes further south,
may wonder at the application of the term "desert" to
ground containing so much plant life. But the dews and
winter rains, which fall in fair quantity in the vicinity of
Saqqareh, enable a varied vegetation to grow in the hollows,
especially one succulent variety, which, if some license be
granted to the ancient artist, may be recognized amongst
those which he has pourtrayed on this wall. In the early
part of the year the flocks of goats and sheep are driven by
herd-girls to browse on this produce of the desert, and the
visitor may gather a nosegay of varied and interesting flowers.
on the extreme left hand seems to have been
occupied by a painted tree.
It may be worthy of mention here that two
of the most characteristic scenes in the chamber,
the games of the boys and the animals in the
desert, are paralleled very closely in the tomb
of Mera near by, one of the three mastabas in
this great necropolis which arc open to the
public. Most of the sculpture there cannot
be compared for workmanship with that in
Ptahhetep's chapel, showing the decline of art
in two or three generations. Ptahhetep's tomb
was decorated during the reign of Assa in the
Vth Dynasty, and Mera's during the reigns of
Teta and Pepy I. of the Vlth Dynasty.
12. A word remains to be said concerning
the decoration of the false doors.
North False Door.—In PI. xix. a repre-
sentation of this door has been given, from
which the whole scheme of colour may be made
out with the help of the following notes. (The
painted designs on the left side, being a repeti-
tion of those on the right, have been omitted in
this plate in order that the parts which sculpture
and colour play in the decoration may be more
clearly distinguished. Cf. also the photograph,
PI. xxix.). All the patterns which fill the
panels will be found in the coloured plates xx.
and xx A., and can be identified by help of the
letters employed. The horizontal bands, the
decoration of which is not indicated, are simply
coloured red. The topmost horizontal panel
has a ribbed surface, and is painted green.
Where the door may be considered to be un-
ornamented (back and sides of the vertical
grooves, background of the draught-board
pattern, &c), a light yellow has been employed.
The deep recess beneath the round lintel is
painted and grained to represent a door made
up of very narrow planks of wood, and turning
on metal (?) pivots. Sockets of such pivots
seem to be indicated by black angle-pieces,
which are seen at the top and bottom right-
hand corners of the grained recess, both of
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THE MASTABA OF PTAHHETEP AND AKHETHETEP.
b
similar difference in the quality of the stone,
and is doubtless largely due to it. The acme
of excellence is reached in the charming hiero-
glyph fig. 69. In the case of the first and last
of the animals in the upper row of PL xxii.
the inner lines seem to be outlines which have
been abandoned, though in the former case
these lines seem to be really the more correct.
The amount of painted detail in the chamber
which was not utilised by the sculptor, or was
added to his work afterwards, is considerable.
Probably such details were often intentionally
left uncut, either as being too minute or
in order that the scene might not become
confused ; but in other cases carelessness or
haste seems to have prevented completion.
Signs are not wanting that the draughtsman
laid down his designs not only in outline, but,
roughly at least, in colour also; partly perhaps
as an additional guide to the sculptor, partly
to satisfy himself as to the general scheme.
Here and there, as often happens in other
tombs, names and titles of servitors are but
roughly cut out or incised, or else are indicated
only in colour (ink?). Of these survivals in
paint the most important are the two nome-
signs on the south wall, which have been read
with fair certainty. Very interesting too are
the painted bushes in the desert scene (PI. xxii.).
They are now much obliterated, and appear to
have been too conventional in colour and out-
line to aid much in the identification of the
ancient flora.1 The gap in the upper register
1 Those who do not know the Egyptian desert, or who
are only familiar with the barren wastes further south,
may wonder at the application of the term "desert" to
ground containing so much plant life. But the dews and
winter rains, which fall in fair quantity in the vicinity of
Saqqareh, enable a varied vegetation to grow in the hollows,
especially one succulent variety, which, if some license be
granted to the ancient artist, may be recognized amongst
those which he has pourtrayed on this wall. In the early
part of the year the flocks of goats and sheep are driven by
herd-girls to browse on this produce of the desert, and the
visitor may gather a nosegay of varied and interesting flowers.
on the extreme left hand seems to have been
occupied by a painted tree.
It may be worthy of mention here that two
of the most characteristic scenes in the chamber,
the games of the boys and the animals in the
desert, are paralleled very closely in the tomb
of Mera near by, one of the three mastabas in
this great necropolis which arc open to the
public. Most of the sculpture there cannot
be compared for workmanship with that in
Ptahhetep's chapel, showing the decline of art
in two or three generations. Ptahhetep's tomb
was decorated during the reign of Assa in the
Vth Dynasty, and Mera's during the reigns of
Teta and Pepy I. of the Vlth Dynasty.
12. A word remains to be said concerning
the decoration of the false doors.
North False Door.—In PI. xix. a repre-
sentation of this door has been given, from
which the whole scheme of colour may be made
out with the help of the following notes. (The
painted designs on the left side, being a repeti-
tion of those on the right, have been omitted in
this plate in order that the parts which sculpture
and colour play in the decoration may be more
clearly distinguished. Cf. also the photograph,
PI. xxix.). All the patterns which fill the
panels will be found in the coloured plates xx.
and xx A., and can be identified by help of the
letters employed. The horizontal bands, the
decoration of which is not indicated, are simply
coloured red. The topmost horizontal panel
has a ribbed surface, and is painted green.
Where the door may be considered to be un-
ornamented (back and sides of the vertical
grooves, background of the draught-board
pattern, &c), a light yellow has been employed.
The deep recess beneath the round lintel is
painted and grained to represent a door made
up of very narrow planks of wood, and turning
on metal (?) pivots. Sockets of such pivots
seem to be indicated by black angle-pieces,
which are seen at the top and bottom right-
hand corners of the grained recess, both of
;>ls0
tfasg
^ tem1111
U °f;
0fes3orPe1
„ Dynasty,8
A -trip
e:
o:
f the c
xx,. and i
ed on
^grepresen
,ar that long p
jtffg were wont
t of the walls
, and
leloff.
False Door (se
jefly decorated, :
fflolyphs and fi