Limestone seated figure of Senebef
This seated limestone statuette of “overseer of the ointments” Senebef is believed to date from the Early 13th Dynasty of Ancient Egypt’s Middle Kingdom. The structure of the face and enlarged ears are a distinctive style of the era it is thought to be from.
Senebef wears a shoulder-length wig of plaited hair tucked behind his overly large ears. He stares forth with an ever so slight smile. His deep inset eyes are lined, his nose is thin and his lips also.
Senebef wears a garment wrapped around his torso from under his pectoral, his belly is slightly rounded.
British Museum Curator Commentary: “The figure is described as originating from Abydos within the initial listing of the statue in the Henry Salt sale of antiquities in 1835 (PM V). The Abydos provenance may be based on the inscription which refers to the funerary god Osiris and Abydos, but a more precise findspot is unclear.“
British Museum Curator Commentary: “Stylistic features such as the oversized ears and the style of clothing point towards a Middle Kingdom date, and most likely after the later phases of the 12th Dynasty. Similar statues of this type are often depicted engaged in the act of writing or with the palms placed flat against the body. Here, however, the palms are open in a gesture of reverence which also frames the opening lines of the inscription, potentially drawing attention towards the text.”
Upon his lap, incised hieroglyphic inscriptions are written; “An offering that the king gives to Osiris, the great god, (2) Lord of Abydos […] (3) so that he may give a voice offering of bread and beer, oxen and poultry, and all things (4) good, for the ka of the overseer of the ointments, Senebef, true of voice.”
Summary:
Limestone seated statue of Senebef Middle Kingdom-Second Intermediate Period, Early (?) 13th Dynasty, c. 1803-1788 B.C. Abydos. British Museum. EA2307
