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Lot Essay
PUBLISHED:
B. Peterson, Medelhavsmuseet Bulletin, 20, 1985, p. 21.
J. Harvey, Wooden Statues of the Old Kingdom, Leiden, 2001, p. 102, no. A96.
C. Andrews and J. von Dijk (eds), Objects for Eternity: Egyptian Antiquities from the W. Arnold Meijer Collection, Mainz, 2006, p. 60, no. 1.36.
A letter of Cecil Firth's records how the cache of statues were discovered in a recess in the wall of the shaft of Tjeteti's tomb. It reads, 'I got a few good statuettes of a man called...from a recess in the wall of shaft, one seated statuette about 39 cm. high and several of wood, also beer making and such scenes...', (B. Peterson, Finds from the Theteti Tomb at Saqqara, Medelhavsmuseet Bulletin, vol. 20, Stockholm, 1985, pp. 3-24). The cache, which included twenty wood statues, one female and nineteen male, a limestone seated statue and several model groups, was dispersed through various routes including to sponsors and dealers. This statue is the only one from the group to have been crafted from a single block of wood. The title ascribed to Tjeteti on this piece, 'Overseer of the Double Granary' is one of many found on the group of statues, others include 'Overseer of the Fields' and 'Overseer of the Milkers', all indicating high administrative office. He is also described as 'Sole Friend' and 'Overseer of the House of the Master of Largess', the department in charge of supplying the Pharoah's table, both titles clearly demonstrating the close proximity that Tjeteti enjoyed to his royal master.
For other statues from the same tomb cf., 'Statue of Tjeteti as a young man', the Metropolitan Museum, no. 26.2.8; 'Statue of Tejeteti in middle age', the Metropolitan Museum, no. 26.2.9; and 'Standing figure of Tjetety', Boston Museum of Fine Arts, no. 24.608.
B. Peterson, Medelhavsmuseet Bulletin, 20, 1985, p. 21.
J. Harvey, Wooden Statues of the Old Kingdom, Leiden, 2001, p. 102, no. A96.
C. Andrews and J. von Dijk (eds), Objects for Eternity: Egyptian Antiquities from the W. Arnold Meijer Collection, Mainz, 2006, p. 60, no. 1.36.
A letter of Cecil Firth's records how the cache of statues were discovered in a recess in the wall of the shaft of Tjeteti's tomb. It reads, 'I got a few good statuettes of a man called...from a recess in the wall of shaft, one seated statuette about 39 cm. high and several of wood, also beer making and such scenes...', (B. Peterson, Finds from the Theteti Tomb at Saqqara, Medelhavsmuseet Bulletin, vol. 20, Stockholm, 1985, pp. 3-24). The cache, which included twenty wood statues, one female and nineteen male, a limestone seated statue and several model groups, was dispersed through various routes including to sponsors and dealers. This statue is the only one from the group to have been crafted from a single block of wood. The title ascribed to Tjeteti on this piece, 'Overseer of the Double Granary' is one of many found on the group of statues, others include 'Overseer of the Fields' and 'Overseer of the Milkers', all indicating high administrative office. He is also described as 'Sole Friend' and 'Overseer of the House of the Master of Largess', the department in charge of supplying the Pharoah's table, both titles clearly demonstrating the close proximity that Tjeteti enjoyed to his royal master.
For other statues from the same tomb cf., 'Statue of Tjeteti as a young man', the Metropolitan Museum, no. 26.2.8; 'Statue of Tejeteti in middle age', the Metropolitan Museum, no. 26.2.9; and 'Standing figure of Tjetety', Boston Museum of Fine Arts, no. 24.608.