Limestone
circa 1380 BCE
Egypt
The British Museum
Details
Culture/Civilisation
Ancient Egypt
Theme
The Great River Civilisations outside India: Mesopotamia, Egypt and China
Subtheme
Ancient Egypt – the Land of the Nile
Case Title
Egypt: this life and beyond
Display Location
Coomaraswamy Hall
Findspot
Armant, Egypt
Measurements
19.5 x 34 x 21 cm
Accession Number
EA51101
Description
An affectionate couple, Khaemwaset and his wife Nebettawai, face the afterlife together.
Their statue, made for their tomb, carries prayers to local gods for eternal well-being. Khaemwaset, ‘overseer of fields’, managed land belonging to the nearby temple.
He holds a cos lettuce, emblem of the god Min, symbolising virility. His right hand clasps a rolled cloth, the hieroglyph for ‘health’. Nebettawi, rests one hand on his far shoulder, a gesture often seen in images of couples. Much rarer, however, is the position of her other hand, affectionately touching his elbow.
