Scribe

Scribe Ramose from Deir el-Medina. Musée du Louvre. E 16346

Scribe Ramose from Deir el-Medina

Scribe Ramose from Deir el-Medina New Kingdom, 19th Dynasty, c. 1279-1213 B.C. Musée du Louvre. E 16346 This painted limestone figure of the Scribe Ramose, shows the Scribe with a beautifully detailed thick wig. His shoulders are adorned with the cartouches of Ramesses II, Thutmose IV and Horemheb. Ramose (scribe in the Place of truth,...

Statue of Horemheb as a Scribe

Statue of Horemheb as a Scribe

This statue was made before Horemheb ascended the throne. Horemheb was a royal scribe and general of the army under Tutankhamun. He continued to serve during the reign of Ay and eventually succeeded Ay as king. By having himself depicted as a scribe, Horemheb declares himself to be among the elite group of literate individuals,...

Statue of Ramessesnakht

Statue of Ramessesnakht as a scribe

The High Priest Ramessesnakht sits with his legs crossed under him the typical pose of a scribe another office he held, his head is bent over his work, his own biography, in his left hand is poised to continue writing. The baboon embracing his head, offering him protection and counsel represents Thoth, god of the...

Statue of Pendua and his wife Nefertari

Statue of Pendua and Nefertari

This statuary group is representing the scribe Pendua and his wife Nefertari. The couple embrace in an unusual depiction, seated on a wide high-backed seat with their arms passing behind the other so that their hands rest on each other’s shoulder. Both Pendua and Nefertari (whose name was the same as the reigning queen) wear...

Funerary Papyrus of Djehutymes

Funerary Papyrus of Djehutymes

Vignette from the funerary papyrus of the scribe Djehutymes. In ancient Egypt, jackals and dogs were very common in the land between desert and urban areas, so they were associated with the world of necropolis and the dead. Specifically, their wandering among the tombs was interpreted as a perpetual guard service to the deceased. The...

Statue of the lector priest Kaaper, Sheikh el-Balad. Egyptian Museum, Cairo. CG 34

Statue of the Lector Priest Kaaper, Sheikh el-Balad

The statue depicts Kaaper, the chief lector priest, in charge of reciting prayers for the deceased in temples and funerary chapels. Sheikh el-Balad, Arabic title for the chief of the village, was the name given to this remarkable wooden statue discovered by the workmen of Auguste Mariette, the French archaeologist, because it resembled their own...

detail of the face of scribe Metri

Statue of Metri as a Scribe

The statue depicts Metri, an overseer of the scribes during the 6th Dynasty, sitting in the traditional pose of scribes with his legs crossed. He spreads a roll of papyrus on his lap and holds it with his left hand. In his right hand he holds a pen. The body of the statue is painted...

Nykara and his Family

Statue of Nykara and his Family

This family statue depicts Nykara, whose title is Scribe of the Granary, seated between the two standing figures of his wife and son. If Nykara were shown standing, his dimensions are such that he would tower over the other two figures. Also, although the boy’s nakedness, sidelock of youth, and finger-to-mouth gesture indicate that he...

Statue of Amenhotep, Son of Hapu. Hurghada Museum. JE 44861

Statue of Amenhotep Son of Hapu

Amenhotep, Son of Hapu was one of the most important officials from the reign of Amenhotep III, he was renowned throughout Egyptian history as an architect and a sage, and worshiped alongside Imhotep as a god of medicine. Amenhotep worked his way up the administration until he became the king’s closest advisor, by this time...

The Seated Scribe

The Seated Scribe

The Louvre’s scribe, known as the “Seated Scribe”, is indeed sitting cross-legged, his right leg crossed in front of his left. The white kilt, stretched over his knees, serves as a support. He is holding a partially rolled papyrus scroll in his left hand. His right hand must have held a brush, now missing.  The...