Nebseni & Baket

This family portrait features Nebseni, chief of the royal stables alongside his wife Baket, and their son named Imen, whose face has sadly been destroyed, but it appears the boy stands before an altar.

Finely carved from limestone, the piece measures at 87cm tall and 35cm wide, with a depth of 33.5cm. It was discovered in Bubastis, known to the Egyptians as Per-Bast, often identified with the biblical Pi-Beseth (Hebrew: פי-בסת py-bst, Ezekiel 30:17). Pr-Bɝst.t is traditionally pronounced Per-Bast, although its earlier Egyptian pronunciation can be reconstructed as /ˈpaɾu-buˈʀistit/. In Bohairic Coptic, the name is rendered Ⲡⲟⲩⲃⲁⲥϯ, Ⲡⲟⲩⲁⲥϯ or Ⲃⲟⲩⲁⲥϯ. It is a combination of the Egyptian word pr (“house”) and the name of the goddess Bastet; thus, the phrase meaning “House of Bast”.

Per-Bast was the capital of its own nome, located along the Nile in the Delta region of Lower Egypt, and was known as a centre of worship for the feline goddess Bastet, as well as Egypt’s primary repository of cat mummies. Its ruins are found in the outskirts of the present city of Zagazig.

Bubastis was the capital of Lower Egypt’s 18th nome, Am-Khent. Bubastis was located southwest of Tanis, on the eastern bank of the Pelusiac branch of the Nile. The Calasirian division of the Egyptian army caste received the nome and city of Bubastis. Tell Basta was home to a huge mudbrick palace (16,000 sqm) built during the Twelfth Dynasty. It was considered to be the home of Amenemhat III. A limestone lintel depicts the king during the Heb Sed Festival.

It was converted into a royal home after Shoshenq I, the 22nd Dynasty’s first king, became pharaoh in 943 BC. Bubastis was at its peak during the 22nd and 23rd dynasty.

The statue dates from the 18th Dynasty, during the reign of king Amenhotep II. Amenhotep II (also known as Amenophis II and meaning “Amun is Satisfied”) was the seventh pharaoh of Egypt’s Eighteenth Dynasty. He inherited a massive kingdom from his father Thutmose III and maintained it through a few military expeditions in Syria; nevertheless, he fought far fewer battles than his father, and his reign marked the end of hostilities between Egypt and Mitanni, the major kingdoms contending for power in Syria. His reign is traditionally dated between 1427 and 1401 BC. His consort was Tiaa, who was denied any dignity until Amenhotep’s son, Thutmose IV, took power.

Nebseni was the chief of the royal stables. Horses held significant roles in Egyptian civilization during the New Kingdom, serving as prestige symbols, and symbols of military prowess. The New Kingdom kings would often be depicted in chariots, with decorated war-horses, trampling the enemies of Egypt, thus making the horse of the king an iconic symbol of kingship.

Depicted in a shoulder length layered wig, shendyt (kilt) that falls just below the knee, with what appears to be a dagger possibly protruding from his belt; Nebseni’s depiction represents a man of status and wealth. Being a chief of the king’s horses would have been a trusted job, after all.

Baket, who held the traditional female title of “Mistress of the House”, is depicted with an elaborate wig of black coloured hair parted in the middle, full of plaited hair that cascades down the back of her head, and is tied by a wig band. She wears a usekh collar and a 18th Dynasty, New Kingdom, style dress, that seemingly keeps one breast exposed. Upon the exposed breast is a floral design at the nipple, often associated with femininity, fertility and motherhood.

Both Nebseni and Baket have similar expressions of a faint smile as they face forward into eternity. Traces of paint remains on them both, the remnants of the red pigment of Nebseni’s skin is striking against the muted limestone.

Sadly, traces of the son’s likeness are missing.

The statue is covered in carvings of hieroglyphs that have traces of blue pigment remaining. They represent an offering formula for the deceased. An offering formula, also known as the ḥtp-ḏỉ-nsw or ḥtp-ḏj-nswt formula, was a conventional dedicatory formula found on ancient Egyptian funerary objects. It was believed to allow the deceased to partake in offerings presented to major deities in the name of the king, or in offerings presented directly to the deceased by family members.

Summary:

Limestone funerary statue of the Chief of the Royal Stables, Nebseni and his wife “Mistress of the house” Baket, alongside their son who stands before an offering altar
New Kingdom, 18th Dynasty, reign of Amnhotep II, c. 1425-1400 B.C.
From Bubastis (Per-Bast).
Musée du Louvre. E 11364