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Lot Essay
Sculpted out of dark yellow Egyptian alabaster (calcite), with black paint used to highlight the eyes and inscriptions, this complete set of canopic jars belonged to a man named Khakare. The deceased may have been connected with the region of Herakleopolis Magna by the priestly titles both he and his mother Merityotes bore, relating to the cult of the local ram-headed deity Heryshef. Each jar is topped with a finely carved lid with the head of the appropriate son of Horus responsible for the protection of the internal organs once contained within. The spells on the body of each jar, carefully carved in vertical rows of hieroglyphs facing to the right, invoke the protection of each deity and ask for his assistance in knitting back together the body of Khakare in the hereafter.
In addition to being designated as a Priest of Heryshef, here called by the epithet the “Ruler of the Two Banks,” Khakare is also identified as a Sameref priest (literally meaning “his beloved son”), a typical sacerdotal role at Herakleopolis Magna (see M. C. Perez-Die and P. Vernus, Excavaciones en Ehnasya el Medina (Heracleópolis Magna), p. 51 and D. Klotz, “Regionally Specific Sacerdotal Titles in Late Period Egypt,” in A. Rickert and B. Ventker, eds., Altägyptische Enzyklopädien: Die Soubassements in den Tempeln der griechisch-römischen Zeit, vol. 2, p. 778).
Khakare’s father Iah-Tefnakht is simply given the title of “priest” with no further specification. The name Khakare is probably an honorific basilophorous name employing the throne-name of Senwosret III of Dynasty 12 (usually written Kha-kau-re; see G. Vittmann, “Personal Names: Structures and Patterns,” in E. Frood and W. Wendrich, eds., UCLA Encyclopedia of Egyptology, pp. 5-6).
The inscription on the body on the canopic jar with Duamutef (jackal head) reads:
“Saying the words by Duamutef: I am your son whom you love, the Hereditary Prince and Count, the Osiris, the Sameref priest (lit. “his beloved son”), the Priest of Heryshef the ruler of the two banks, Khakare, the son of the Priest Iah-Tefnakht, born of the Sistrum-Player of Heryshef the ‘King of the Two Lands,’ Merityotes. How I have come is as your protection, you have assembled your bones.”
The inscription on the body of the canopic jar with Hapy (baboon head) reads:
“Saying the words by Hapy: I am your son whom you love, the Hereditary Prince and Count, the Osiris, the Sameref priest (lit. “his beloved son”), the Priest of Heryshef, the ruler of the two banks, Khakare, the son of the Priest Iah-Tefnakht, born of the Sistrum-Player of Heryshef Meretitesef (sic.): I have come as your protection, you have gathered your bones, you have strengthened your arms forever.”
The inscription on the body of the canopic jar with Kebehsenuef (falcon head) reads:
“Saying the words by Kebehsenuef: I am your son, the Hereditary Prince and Count, the Osiris, the Sameref priest (lit. “his beloved son”), the Priest of Heryshef, the ruler of the two banks, Khakare, son of the Priest Iah-Tefnakht, born of the <Lady of the House>, the Sistrum-Player of Heryshef, the ‘King of the Two Lands,’ Meretites/Merityotes. How I have come is as your protection, you have assembled your bones.”
The inscription on the body of the canopic jar with Imsety (human head) reads:
“Saying the words by Imsety: I am your son whom you love, the Hereditary Prince and Count, the Osiris, the Sameref priest (lit. “his beloved son”), the Priest of Heryshef, the ruler of the two banks, Khakare, son of the Priest Iah-Tefnakht, born of the <Lady> of the House, the Sistrum-Player of Heryshef, the King of the Two Lands, Meretites (or Meritiotes), I come that I might be as your protection; you have gathered your bones, you have strengthened your arms forever.”
In addition to being designated as a Priest of Heryshef, here called by the epithet the “Ruler of the Two Banks,” Khakare is also identified as a Sameref priest (literally meaning “his beloved son”), a typical sacerdotal role at Herakleopolis Magna (see M. C. Perez-Die and P. Vernus, Excavaciones en Ehnasya el Medina (Heracleópolis Magna), p. 51 and D. Klotz, “Regionally Specific Sacerdotal Titles in Late Period Egypt,” in A. Rickert and B. Ventker, eds., Altägyptische Enzyklopädien: Die Soubassements in den Tempeln der griechisch-römischen Zeit, vol. 2, p. 778).
Khakare’s father Iah-Tefnakht is simply given the title of “priest” with no further specification. The name Khakare is probably an honorific basilophorous name employing the throne-name of Senwosret III of Dynasty 12 (usually written Kha-kau-re; see G. Vittmann, “Personal Names: Structures and Patterns,” in E. Frood and W. Wendrich, eds., UCLA Encyclopedia of Egyptology, pp. 5-6).
The inscription on the body on the canopic jar with Duamutef (jackal head) reads:
“Saying the words by Duamutef: I am your son whom you love, the Hereditary Prince and Count, the Osiris, the Sameref priest (lit. “his beloved son”), the Priest of Heryshef the ruler of the two banks, Khakare, the son of the Priest Iah-Tefnakht, born of the Sistrum-Player of Heryshef the ‘King of the Two Lands,’ Merityotes. How I have come is as your protection, you have assembled your bones.”
The inscription on the body of the canopic jar with Hapy (baboon head) reads:
“Saying the words by Hapy: I am your son whom you love, the Hereditary Prince and Count, the Osiris, the Sameref priest (lit. “his beloved son”), the Priest of Heryshef, the ruler of the two banks, Khakare, the son of the Priest Iah-Tefnakht, born of the Sistrum-Player of Heryshef Meretitesef (sic.): I have come as your protection, you have gathered your bones, you have strengthened your arms forever.”
The inscription on the body of the canopic jar with Kebehsenuef (falcon head) reads:
“Saying the words by Kebehsenuef: I am your son, the Hereditary Prince and Count, the Osiris, the Sameref priest (lit. “his beloved son”), the Priest of Heryshef, the ruler of the two banks, Khakare, son of the Priest Iah-Tefnakht, born of the <Lady of the House>, the Sistrum-Player of Heryshef, the ‘King of the Two Lands,’ Meretites/Merityotes. How I have come is as your protection, you have assembled your bones.”
The inscription on the body of the canopic jar with Imsety (human head) reads:
“Saying the words by Imsety: I am your son whom you love, the Hereditary Prince and Count, the Osiris, the Sameref priest (lit. “his beloved son”), the Priest of Heryshef, the ruler of the two banks, Khakare, son of the Priest Iah-Tefnakht, born of the <Lady> of the House, the Sistrum-Player of Heryshef, the King of the Two Lands, Meretites (or Meritiotes), I come that I might be as your protection; you have gathered your bones, you have strengthened your arms forever.”