Statue of a Woman Carrying Offerings
These exquisite examples of Egyptian wood carving, depicting women bearing offerings, were discovered in a concealed chamber beside the passage leading into the rock-cut tomb of Meketre, the royal chief steward. These two remarkably similar female figures (Egyptian Museum, Cairo, JE 46725; Metropolitan Museum of Art, 20.3.7) stood flanking a collection of twenty-two intricate models, which included gardens, workshops, boats, and a funerary procession, all carefully arranged within the chamber’s confined space.
Both statues depict a graceful woman striding forward upon a rectangular base. Each carries a basket upon her head, though their contents differ—one holds four red jars, likely filled with wine and sealed with conical lids, while the other contains an assortment of cut meat, including the leg of a cow or goat protruding from the top. In their right hands, each woman gently grasps a duck by its wings.
They wear long, three-part wigs cascading over their chests and are clad in elegant, ankle-length dresses, secured by two broad straps crossing the bust. Their wrists and ankles are adorned with decorative cuffs, adding to the refinement of their appearance.
Meketre began his service under King Mentuhotep II of the 11th Dynasty and continued his career into the early years of the 12th Dynasty, serving successive rulers.
Although the accessible chambers of Meketre’s tomb had been plundered in antiquity, fortune preserved this hidden chamber, which remained untouched. In early 1920, during an effort to clear accumulated debris and accurately map the tomb’s layout, the Museum’s excavator, Herbert Winlock, and his workmen stumbled upon this secret space. Inside, they found a remarkable collection of nearly intact models and two statues, offering a rare glimpse into the craftsmanship of the era.
In the subsequent division of finds between the Egyptian Government and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, half of the treasures were sent to the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, while the other half travelled to New York.
Related: Ancient Egyptian Beaded Dress
Summary:
One of two wooden statues of a woman carrying offerings
Middle Kingdom, 12th Dynasty, c. 1981-1975 B.C.
From the Tomb of Meketre (TT280), Sheikh Abd el-Qurna, West Thebes.
Both figures are now in the Egyptian Museum, Cairo. JE 46725. Met Museum. 20.3.7
