Nen-Kheft-Ka and Nefer-Shemes

Inscribed with the title of “Royal acquaintance”, this double statuette depicts a married couple, Nen-Kheft-Ka and his wife Nefer-Shemes. Nen-Kheft-Ka was the mayor of his town, and this statue was discovered within his mastaba, rock-cut tomb at Deshasheh.

Made of limestone, the statue is delicately carved in traditional style of the Old Kingdom period. The pleated linen of Nen-Kheft-Ka’s kilt and detailed belt, with dagger resting upon his stomach, showcases beautiful craftsmanship. The remnants of paint, red, yellow, white and black, gives us an idea of how this double figure would have looked in its former glory.

Nefer-Shemes, wears a short “bob” cropped plaited wig and is smaller in stature compared to her husband, showcasing Nen-Kheft-Ka’s role in society.

British Museum Curator: In 1897 W. M. F. Petrie explored the tombs of Deshasha, just south of the Fayium, and excavated some of the cemeteries there. Material spanning a range of dates was found, but the principal tombs are rock-cut examples dating from the Old Kingdom. Petrie also located the remains of the base of a stone-built mastaba chapel on a hillside, and discovered a small shaft with a chamber at the bottom filled with fragments of statues. These pieces were reassembled into twelve statues bearing the name Nenkheftka. The British Museum has two statues from this group (the other is registration no. 1897,1009.2).

Summary:
Double limestone statue of the Mayor Nen-Kheft-Ka and his wife Nefer-Shemes
Old Kingdom, 5th Dynasty, c. 2350 B.C.
Mastaba of Nen-Kheft-Ka, Deshasheh.