Stela of Tjenti and Nefret
Date:
Old Kingdom, mid–Dynasty 4, about 2566–2532 BCE
Artist:
Egyptian; probably tomb G 3035, Giza, Egypt
Seated on a cushioned chair, an official named Tjenti extends his hand toward a table covered in tall loaves of bread. His wife, Nefret, strikes a similar pose opposite him. Scenes depicting families around a table laden with food for the afterlife were a standard decoration in ancient Egyptian tombs for generations. Displayed in chapels where descendants gathered to remember the dead, these images were eternal family portraits, ensuring an afterlife populated with loved ones. Here, Tjenti and Nefret are shown with their son Tjenti (standing on the right) and granddaughter Nefer-Hathor, who holds her index finger to her lips in a gesture symbolic of childhood. Following Egyptian artistic conventions, the figures are represented at different scales that denote their status within the family.
Inscriptions
The "...judge and scribe Thent" appears sitting opposite his wife. Over table listed "incense,.." below hopes for a "thousand of beer, a thousand of clothing..." The hieroglyphic texts enumerate the offerings that were desired to sustain Thenti and his family in the afterlife. In addition to food, he requests clothing, linen, incense, green and black eye paint, and material used in the embalming process.
Art institute Chicago
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