the offering table of the king’s mother nefret (mma 22.1.21) 201

“HE IS THE SON OF A WOMAN OF TASETY . . .”  THE OFFERING TABLE OF THE KING’S MOTHER NEFRET MMA 22.1.21

Peter Jánosi Institute of Egyptology, University of Vienna

Neferti, the fictitious sage living under King Snefru, object has never received the proper discussion it not only predicted the advent of a successful deserves. It is my great pleasure to dedicate this ruler——who would restore peace essay on the offering table to Jack A. Josephson in and order in the land, but also openly admitted appreciation for his tremendous connoisseurship the king’s humble origin. Without mentioning her in Egyptian art and his abiding friendship. name, Neferti simply stated that the king’s mother The offering table was found in secondary posi- was a woman from the first Upper Egyptian nome tion in one of the houses of the later settlement (tA-sty).1 Historians are in general agreement con- period (Second Intermediate Period or New King- cerning Amenemhat I’s descent from that part of dom) at the southwest corner of Amenemhat I’s as well his plebeian origin.2 While no con- .6 Because of the altar’s later reuse, the temporary monuments referencing Amenemhat surface shows considerable wear in certain parts. I’s father have survived, the mother, Nefret, is The upper-left corner is lost, and on the left side, recorded on an offering table discovered in the heavy abrasion obscures the line of text. Numer- pyramid precinct of her son at -North (figs. ous holes and grooves in the limestone indicate 1, 2).3 Despite the recognition by archaeologists4 that the piece was exposed to water or was used of its historical implications and repeated men- for holding liquids for a considerable period of tion in scholarly literature since its discovery,5 the time. The overall current condition of the object is

1 W. Helck, Die Prophezeihung des Nfr.tj (Wiesbaden, Museum of Art, New York, for very kindly giving me per- 1970), 49, XIIIb; W. K. Simpson, ed., The Literature of mission to publish this piece and to make extensive use of (New Haven and London, 1972), 239. The the Department’s archive. My thanks are also due to Liza text goes on to say of Amenemhat I that “he is a child of Majerus, who skillfully prepared the line drawing (fig. 2), and Khen-Nekhen” (i.e., ). Consequently, a sup- Bill Garret, for his professionally produced photographs (figs. posed Nubian origin, absent the king’s mummy, remains 1, 3-4). For corrections of the English text, I am indebted to doubtful, since neither the peculiar facial features noted in Elizabeth Powers. Amenemhat I’s reliefs—see H. Junker, “The First Appearance 4 A.C. Mace, “Excavations at Lisht,” BMMA 17, no. 12 of the Negroes in History,” JEA 7 (1921), 124 n. 2—nor his (Dec. 1922), pt. II, 12, fig. 11. mother’s origin necessarily allow us to infer African roots. 5 PM IV, 1934, 81; W. K. Simpson, The Pyramid of Amen- See G. Posener, Littérature et politique dans l’Égypte de la XIIe em-het I at Lisht: The Twelfth Dynasty Pyramid Complex and dynastie (Paris, 1956), 47f.; T. Säve-Söderbergh, Ägypten und Mastabehs (PhD diss., Yale University, 1954), 91f., pl. 56c; Nubien: Ein Beitrag zur Geschichte altägyptischer Aussenpoli- W.C. Hayes, The Scepter of Egypt, Part I: From the Earliest tik (Lund, 1941), 64; L.M. Berman, Amenemhat I (PhD diss., Times to the End of the Old Kingdom (New York, 1990), 177; Yale University, 1985), 10. Berman, Amenemhat I, 11; H. G. Fischer, “Some Early Monu- 2 As the king’s father, a “God’s Father” (jtj nTr) Senwos- ments from Busiris in the Egyptian Delta,” MMJ 11 (1976), 14 ret is postulated, of whom nothing is known. His name and n. 43; D. Franke, Das Heiligtum des Heqaib, SAGA 9 (1994), title appear after those of Kings Mentuhotep-Nebhepetre 8 n. 1; S. Roth, Die Königsmütter des Alten Ägypten von der and Mentuhotep-Seankhkare in an incomplete list dating to Frühzeit bis zum Ende der 12. Dynastie, ÄUAT 46 (2001), the time of . See H. Chevrier, “Rapport sur les 218-220, 432, fig. 99. travaux de Karnak (1937-1938),” ASAE 38 (1938), 601, pl. 4; 6 This was during the Museum’s last (7th) season at Lisht- L. Habachi, “God’s Fathers and the Role They Played in the North (1921-22). See Mace, “Excavations at Lisht,” 4-18. History of the First Intermediate Period,” ASAE 55 (1958), The exact findspot of the piece was not recorded, and the 185-190; E. Blumenthal, “Die ‘Gottesväter’ des Alten und tomb cards reveal only “radim, S.W. corner of Pyramid.” Mittleren Reiches,” ZÄS 114 (1987), 22f. Neferti also does The archaeological map of that area shows a dense cluster not mention the father’s name, simply calling the king “the of small mud-brick buildings and compounds completely son of a [distinguished] man” and thereby cleverly disguising covering the area between the pyramid’s southwest corner the father’s status and origin. See Posener, Littérature, 49f.; and the mastaba of Rehuerdjersen. As to the houses and dif- E. Blumenthal, Untersuchungen zum ägyptischen Königtum ferent settlement layers at the pyramid site, see F. Arnold, des Mittleren Reiches I, Die Phraseologie (Berlin, 1970), 151 “Settlement Remains at Lisht-North,” in House and Palace (D 1. 10); Blumenthal, “Die Prophezeihung des Neferti,” ZÄS in Ancient Egypt, ed. M. Bietak, International Symposium in 109 (1982), 11 n. 89. , April 8. to 11. 1992, Untersuchungen der Zweigstelle 3 I thank Dr. Dorothea Arnold, Lila Acheson Wallace Kairo des Österreichischen Archäologischen Institutes 14 Chairman, Department of Egyptian Art of The Metropolitan (Vienna, 1996), 13-21. 202 peter jánosi ‚ ‚ A A 10cm 0 A Fig. 2. table of the The offering King’s Majerus). (Drawing: Liza Nefret (MMA 22.1.21) Mother A Garret). Fig. 1. 1. Fig. Bill 22.1.21)(Photo: (MMA the of Nefret table King’s Mother offering The