Mertites & Chennoe

This piece was discovered at Giza, and the inscription indicates that two persons are depicted, a woman named Mertites (who is depicted twice) and a boy named Chennoe (also sometimes written as Shenoe).

The relationship between Mertites and Chennoe is not documented upon the piece, however, it is more than likely that they are mother and son. It is thought Mertites could be Mertites I (thought to be a daughter of Sneferu, and wife of Khufu) or Meritites II (said to be a daughter of Khufu). Meritites II may have been a daughter of Meritites I, as this queen is referenced in mastaba G 7650. She married the Director of the Palace, Akhethotep (a non-royal court officer), and they had several children. Meritites and her husband shared a Mastaba G 7650 in Giza. The name Meritites (also spelt Meryetites and Meritates), means “beloved of her father”.

Chennoe, the young male, is depicted nude, which was common for Egyptian youths. He strides forth and is clasping.

Why Mertites is depicted twice is uncertain, however, an educated guess tells us that it is likely representing a spiritual double, meaning the Ka of Mertites. However, Rijksmuseum does suggest it could be representing Mertites as a Lady in Waiting.

The Ka

In Ancient Egyptian religion, the Ka, together with Ba and Akh, was the key component of a human or god’s soul. The precise meaning of the Ka is still debated, owing mostly to the lack of an Egyptian definition; the standard translation, “double,” is erroneous. It appeared to have originally denoted a person’s protective divine energy, since it was written with an outstretched arm hieroglyph. The ka survived the death of the body and may be found in a portrait or statue of a person. Most famously were the shadowy Ka figures of king Tutankhamun, guarding his burial chamber.

During the Old Kingdom, funerary items often represented a Ka in a human form, and tribute of food and drink would be left by these figures to nourish them spiritually, sometimes even depicted striding or stood within a “false door”, that essentially depicted the soul of the dead travelling from one world to the next to receive the offerings.

Summary:

Painted limestone statue of Meritites (depicted twice) and the boy, Chennoe
Old Kingdom, 4th Dynasty, c. 2613-2494 B.C.
From Giza.
Now at the Rijksmuseum van Oudheden, Netherlands. AST 9