Two Limestone Reliefs of Nyankhnesut, early 6th Dynasty, circa 2323-2291 B.C.

each carved in sunk relief with a striding figure of Nyankhnesut surmounted by hieroglyphic signs including the ankh and the sedge, one figure facing right, holding a scepter, and wearing a kilt, sash, beard, and striated wig, the other figure facing left, wearing a wig, and holding the tail and one paw of his leopard skin in his hands.

Saqqara, Tomb of Nyankhnesut
Dr. Jacob Hirsch, 1920s
English private collection, 1930s-1950s
K.J. Hewett, London, 1960s-1970s
Andrew Hess, Wilton Crescent, London
acquired by the present owner in 1998

Allard Pierson Museum, Archaeological Museum of the University of Amsterdam, November 17th, 2006 - March 25th, 2007

Objects for Eternity, Egyptian Antiquities from the W. Arnold Meijer Collection, Carol A.R. Andrews and Jacobus van Dijk, eds., Mainz, 2006, pp. 38-41, no. 1.24, illus.

Good, diagonal repair across relief at left near top, on both reliefs surface is slightly weathered in areas, note minor chips and scratches, edges of figures chipped and abraded as shown
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

The author writes (Objects for Eternity, pp. 39 and 41): "The tomb of Nyankhnesut, from which the present reliefs come, 'holds the (...) dispersion record among ancient Egyptian tombs' (J. Málek, "The Provenance of Several Tomb-reliefs of the Old Kingdom," Studien zur altägyptischen Kultur, vol. 8, 1980, pp. 201-206); close to sixty pieces are scattered among museums and private collections all over the world. Many of these pieces, including the two relief slabs presented here, passed through the hands of the dealer Dr Jacob Hirsch. The tomb appears to have been discovered around 1917 and was said to be already in ruins at that time (L.M. Berman, Catalogue of Egyptian Art. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland and New York, 1999, p. 135). The exact location of the tomb within the necropolis remained unknown until January 2000, when it was rediscovered by the inspectors of the Saqqara office of the Supreme Council of Antiquities close to the north-west corner of the enclosure of Sekhemkhet (A. Leahy and I. Mathieson, "The Tomb of Nyankhnesut (Re)discovered," Journal of Egyptian Archaeology, vol. 87, 2001, pp. 33-42, pls. IV-V, and K. Mahmoud, "Preliminary Report on the Tomb of Nyankhnesut at Saqqara: 1st Season of Excavation," Göttinger Miszellen, vol. 186, 2002, pp. 75-88). It is a fairly large mastaba measuring some 20 m from the entrance to the rear wall of the innermost chamber; there are five rooms and a long corridor. (...)

The decoration of the two reliefs is simple: each has a standing figure of the tomb owner facing inwards; above him are four hieroglyphs spelling his name, Nyankhnesut. Above the name on the left-hand panel the feet and tail of a bird-sign can be seen, possibly part of the writing of one of Nyankhnesut's many titles, 'overseer of secrets'. As is so often the case with high officials of the Old Kingdom, many of the titles enumerated in the tomb link him with the court and with the king personally 'confidant of the king in his every place'; some of them may be honorific rather than real titles. On the other hand, Nyankhnesut bore several priestly titles, and this may have been his chief occupation in life. Thus he was 'chief lector priest', 'sem priest', 'overseer of the secrets of heaven' and 'greatest of seers in Heliopolis', i.e. high priest of the sun god Re.

These priestly functions are reflected in the different costumes Nyankhnesut is seen wearing on each panel. On the left he wears the simple kilt with triangular apron knotted at the waist which was fashionable at the time. Wrapped around his left shoulder, chest and back is the distinctive sash of a cult priest, the end of which is tucked into the kilt. In his right hand Nyankhnesut holds a horizontal object, most likely the end of a sekhem-sceptre, the front of which is not shown, however. He is wearing a shoulder-length wig with carefully rendered locks covering his ears and sports a short square beard. A different priestly outfit is shown on the right-hand panel. Here Nyankhnesut is wearing a leopard-skin garment which covers most of his body down to the knees, but leaves his right shoulder uncovered. His hands hold one paw and the tail. The garment is fastened over his left shoulder with two cords joined in the middle and ending in a flat semi-circular tab; this particular fastening device is often associated with the leopard-skin costume. On this panel Nyankhnesut is depicted beardless; his wig is of the same type as the one on the left-hand panel, but without detailed rendering of the locks. These, like all other details, would originally have been supplied in paint, virtually all traces of which have now disappeared."