DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.26359#0140
Statue Ensembles in Private Tombs of the Fourth Dynasty
couple. Usually the man was a more important
part of this couple, so in many cases only he had
a statue. Sometimes, however, his wife could also
have a similar statue.
Let us retum no w to the type “2+1’ ’ - it seems
now to be quite clear that it was a result of join-
ing two original types: double ensemble of the
tomb owner and married couple ensemble. The
former is obviously the oldest type and the latter
maybe a bit younger, but surely present already
during the Third Dynasty, although no examples
were preserved until our times.
1 2
fig. 3. Married couple ensemble. Cat. No 12
2.1.4. Multiple tomb owner statues
ensemble
The next type can be called “multiple tomb
owner statues ensemble”. The term describes an
ensemble which contains 3 or more statues, each
of which represents the tomb owner.
From the Fourth Dynasty, two such ensem-
bles are known. The first (cat. No 14) is very
well preserved, because the serdab was not vio-
lated by tomb robbers, but one of the statues
made of wood, is almost totally decayed. The
ensemble belonged to a certain Jntj-sdw, a sim-
ple artisan of the late Fourth Dynasty. Although
Jntj-sdw belonged to the “lower middle class”,
he could afford 5 statues, made of different ma-
terials (limestone and wood), showing him in dif-
ferentposes (seated and standing) and wearing
different wigs and dresses. The second ensem-
ble of this type, preserved only partly, belonged
to BS-bS.f( cat. No 15) and was much larger- it
contained originally a few dozens of statues.
This type of ensemble could be understood
as a simple development of a double ensemble
of the tomb owner. One of the reasons for such
development could be an imitation of royal pat-
tems: in the funerary complexes of Chephren and
Mycerinus (mostprobably already in the com-
plex of Cheops) statues representing the king
were very numerous. The influence of royal pat-
137
couple. Usually the man was a more important
part of this couple, so in many cases only he had
a statue. Sometimes, however, his wife could also
have a similar statue.
Let us retum no w to the type “2+1’ ’ - it seems
now to be quite clear that it was a result of join-
ing two original types: double ensemble of the
tomb owner and married couple ensemble. The
former is obviously the oldest type and the latter
maybe a bit younger, but surely present already
during the Third Dynasty, although no examples
were preserved until our times.
1 2
fig. 3. Married couple ensemble. Cat. No 12
2.1.4. Multiple tomb owner statues
ensemble
The next type can be called “multiple tomb
owner statues ensemble”. The term describes an
ensemble which contains 3 or more statues, each
of which represents the tomb owner.
From the Fourth Dynasty, two such ensem-
bles are known. The first (cat. No 14) is very
well preserved, because the serdab was not vio-
lated by tomb robbers, but one of the statues
made of wood, is almost totally decayed. The
ensemble belonged to a certain Jntj-sdw, a sim-
ple artisan of the late Fourth Dynasty. Although
Jntj-sdw belonged to the “lower middle class”,
he could afford 5 statues, made of different ma-
terials (limestone and wood), showing him in dif-
ferentposes (seated and standing) and wearing
different wigs and dresses. The second ensem-
ble of this type, preserved only partly, belonged
to BS-bS.f( cat. No 15) and was much larger- it
contained originally a few dozens of statues.
This type of ensemble could be understood
as a simple development of a double ensemble
of the tomb owner. One of the reasons for such
development could be an imitation of royal pat-
tems: in the funerary complexes of Chephren and
Mycerinus (mostprobably already in the com-
plex of Cheops) statues representing the king
were very numerous. The influence of royal pat-
137