Ward, John: Pyramids and progress: sketches from Egypt (London, 1900)

STATUE OF RAHOTEP—THE SHEIKH EL BELED

FROM MEDUM : TflE OLDEST PICTURE IN THE WORLD. (Now in the Cairo Museum.)

name of Sneferu was found in various places in the internal passages, and also
in the little tempie on the east side, and its discoverer is confident it was his
pyramid.

Evidences were not wanting to prove that the old thefts of stone still go
on, and the Government have no officer on the spot to prevent this spoliation.
So Pétrie buried his discoveries again, as Mariette had done. But visitors to
the Cairo Museum can see the wonderful statues of Rahotep and his wife
Nefert (the beautiful), which were found at Medum. He is a handsome,
dignified gentleman, and the lady well deserves her name. She is a
and sweet—looking woman. The limestone is beauti-
fully painted, and the eyes, being of glass, are
wondrousiy lifelike. The whole is as fresh as when

executed 6,000 years ago. Rahotep's tomb was

beautifully decorated, and is one of the oldest known.

The very hieroglyphics were painted in the natural

colours of the animals and objects represented, and

thus have contributed largely to identify their mean-
ing. The artist must have been an adept in natural

history. A tomb found here by Mariette had for its

background a marvellous painting of a flock of

geese, which is the best thing of its kind in this

Museum and the oldest picture in the world. The

wooden carved portraits of Hesy, far older than the

time of Sneferu, and yet of even better work, are

also from Medum and are worth attention. There

is a wonderful wooden statue of a man, which may be

called a speaking likeness. It is named " The Sheikh,"

as it resembled the head man of the village, near

Medum, where it was found. Medum is forty miles

from Cairo, thirty from ancient Memphis. Whether

the great folk buried there were citizens of Memphis wooden statue found at Medum.