Digital Giza | Fragmentary limestone seated family group statue

Object(s) photograph: Site: Giza; view: G 1109

Fragmentary limestone seated family group statue of man (unidentified), wife (Meretib), and three children (one identified as Sitmert); man on proper right, woman on proper left, one child each between couple's legs and on either side, male figure seated with hands on thighs, wearing broadcollar with drop beads and kilt, female figure seated with proper right arm around his shoulders, wearing shoulder length wig with central part and sheath dress, small female figure stands to proper left of woman's legs, small female figure stands in middle between couple's legs, small male figure stands to proper right of man's legs, inscription: in front of daughter (on proper left): [Hm nTr Hwt-Hr sAt-mrt] "Hathor priestess Satmeret", in front of woman: [rxt nswt mrt-jb] "royal acquaintance Meretib"; male figure missing head and lower arms, female figure missing proper left arm, figures of children all damaged, inscription damaged.

ID: HM_6-19785
Alternate IDs: HM_6-19785; 6-19785
Department: Hearst Museum, Berkeley
Classification: Sculpture
Period: Old Kingdom, Late Dynasty 4 or early Dynasty 5
Entry Date: 1903–1904
Title: Fragmentary limestone seated family group statue
Medium: Limestone, paint
Dimensions: 39.5 x 21.3 cm (15 9/16 x 8 3/8 in)
Credit Line: Phoebe A. Hearst Museum of Anthropology, Hearst Egyptian Expedition
Provenance: Mastaba G 1109, in sand just under surface
Bibliography: Lutz, Henry F. Egyptian Statues and Statuettes in the Museum of Anthropology of the University of California. University of California Publications. Egyptian Archaeology 5. Leipzig: J.C. Hinrichs, 1930, p. 22, fig. 20, pl. 33b. Porter, Bertha, and Rosalind L.B. Moss. Topographical Bibliography of Ancient Egyptian Hieroglyphic Texts, Reliefs, and Paintings 3: Memphis (Abû Rawâsh to Dahshûr). Oxford: The Clarendon Press, 1931. 2nd edition. 3: Memphis, Part 1 (Abû Rawâsh to Abûsîr), revised and augmented by Jaromír Málek. Oxford: The Clarendon Press, 1974, p. 55.
Remarks: Based on comparison of expedition photos and modern photos, arm fragments of male and female figures present at time of excavation are no longer with statue.