Male Head with a Short Wig, Possibly Pehenptah

Unknown

ca. 2465–2323 BC · Limestone, paint · Egyptian Art

The head originates from a seated or standing figure that was originally placed in the serdab of a mastaba, an inaccessible chamber in the above ground portion of Old Kingdom funerary monuments that held images of the deceased and his family members. This head was found in the serdab of Pehenptah, an official who was “custodian of the king’s property” and “scribe of royal documents,” probably during the Fifth Dynasty. Between three and five statues were found in Pehenptah’s serdab, but the chamber was also filled with material from other locations left there by ancient tomb robbers, raising the possibility that this head originates from a different tomb.

Artist

Unknown

Date

ca. 2465–2323 BC

Medium

Limestone, paint

Department

Egyptian Art

Credit line

Bequest of Nanette B. Kelekian, 2020