Male Tomb Figure
Egyptian, Old Kingdom, end of 5th–6th dynasty, 2350–2170 BCE
Limestone with traces of polychrome
Purchase, 1930 (2896)
Additional details
Alternate name: Painted Relief Pharaoh
Conservation completed by PRCC in Aug. 1984 and Sept. 1986.
This work is believed to be one of more than thirty reliefs to have come from the tomb of Ni'ankhnesut at Saqqara. Ni'ankhnesut, known from inscriptions as the count or overlord of Nekheb, lived during the reign of Pharaoh Teti (2323–2291 BCE) in the Sixth Dynasty. The hieroglyphic inscription above the figure contains part of Ni'ankhnesut's name, suggesting that this figure may be a depiction of him. The pigment that remains on the surface is a reminder that this figure was once fully painted.