FuNEREAL Stela of Princess Nesi-Khonsu
This stela is of sycamore wood. Its superficial measurement is 15V2X8'/2 inches; and it is seven-eighths of an inch in thickness. In the texture and colour of the wood, it strikingly resembles a certain insciibed tablet written for this same Nesi-Khonsu, which is thus described by Professor Maspero in a former number of the Recueil de Travaux' : — «le
1) Sur une tablette appartenant à M. Rogers : par G. Maspero, Hecueil de Travaux^ vol. II, p. 13, 1880. This tablet has been purchased for the Louvre. A precisely similar tablet, purchased at Thebes in 1874, is in the possession of the Diike of Hamilton.
ReLICS FROM THE TOMB
bois est compact, semé de quelques petits nœuds, d'une teinte jaune, taché aux endroits probablement où il avait été mouillé dans l'antiquité.» The présent stela is, in like manner, made from wood of a yellowish tint fuU of little knots, and is splashed with ancient dampstains which, unfortunately, the Arab-dealers hâve sought to mend with touches of raw white, I am myself the possessor of this relie, which I purchased at Luxor in 1874. It is in admirable préservation, and represents the deceased princess, crowned with the cône and lotusbud, in adoration before Osiris. Thèse two figures occupy about four fifths of the surface of the stela, the irregular space above their heads being filled in with a hieroglyphic inscription in seven vertical columns of unequal length, The inscription reads as follows: —
Im,
tlll I
lûAAA/V^^
fv-/^
AAAAAA
Over
the
liead of
Osiris.
Over
the
head of
Nesi-Khonsii.
Saith Osiris Khent-Ament dwelling in Abydos Ruler of Eternity.
(The speech of the God is not given.) The Osiris, the chief Pallakide of Amen-Ra King of the Gods; The Prophetess of Khnoum Lord of Elephantine ; the Royal Son of Kush, Governor of the Southern Lands; the Prophetess of Nebhotep of Nesert; The chief Princess, Nesi-Khonsu, Justified.
As in the inscription upon Vase I (Amset) of the Canopic set previously described, we hère again find Nesi-Khoxsu désignât ed as «Royal Son of Kush», and holding the appointment of «Governor of the Southern Lands». This is very remarkable. Had only one of the relies thus inscribed — i. e. the vase, or the stela — corne down to the présent day, we should be justified in attributiug thèse anomalous distinctions to an error on part of the scribe. Or were the two inscriptions in ail respects identical, it might perhaps be conjectured that both scribes — the eugraver-scribe and the painter-scribe — had worked from some faulty original. But the inscriptions are identical only in so far as they confirm each other. In both, Nesi-Khonsu, primarily designated as first Pallakide of Amen, an office appertaining solely to women, is presently invested with a style and title given exclusively to men. In both, the
OF THE Priest-kings AT Dayr-el-Baharee. 83
sensé is perfectly clear, leaving- no room for doubt. Were it not fov the Pharaonic dignities assumed at an earlier period by Queen Hatshei-su, the case of Nesi-Khonsu woiild be altogether unpreeedented. Bearing, however, this historical parallel in mind, I am tempted to suggest that in Nesi-Khonsu we may possibly see the eklest of a faraily consisting, like the family of Khoo-en-Aten, of daughters only; in which case the eldest, «Chief of the Princesses», might hâve been promoted to honours which there was no son to claim. If we take into account the high position accorded to women under the civil law of ancient Egypt, this suggestion will hardly be deemed extravagatt. Or, remembering that Queen Makara of the great Karnak Decree is believed to hâve been a Ramesside princess, and that her dowry consisted of lands «in the South country», it might be conjectured that Nesi-Khonsu was daughter of a Ramesside mother, and that she inherited Kushite rights in virtue of her maternai descent. Thèse, of course, are but guesses, to be taken for what they are worth.
It is unfortunate that neither the Canopic vases nor the stela now under considération, give the names of Princess Nesi-Khonsu' s parents. We know them, however, from other sources. The RoGERs-tablet already referred to styles her «This Nesi-Khonsu whose mother is Tent-hon-Thoth;» and the important inscription of Pinotem III at Karnak, lately translated by M. Naville, states that she was daughter to one Prince Nesi-Ba-neb-Tat, second son of Menkheperra and Isi-em-kheb. In contrast with the pompons array of titles by which the name ot Nesi-Khonsu is preceded on my stela and on Mr. Parish's Canopic vases, it seems singular that neither she nor her mother are, in the Rogers tablet, designated by royal or sacerdotal honours. Even in the officiai attestation of Nesi-Khonsu's interment, which Professor Maspero discovered last year written in the hieratic script upon one of the door-jambs of the mortuary chamber at Dayr-el-Baharee, the deceased is given no higher
rank than M, 3} «Vénérable» or «Exalted». Between this ostentation of pomp on the one hand and this ostentation of simplicity on the other, there is a discrepancy which calls for explanation. Whatever her royal rank or sacred functions, it is évident that Nesi-Khonsu was above ail else a votaress of Amen. « The Osiris, first Pallakide of Amen » précèdes every other title upon my stela and upon Me. Parrish's vases. The RoGERS-Tablet, which is inscribed on both sides, records certain commands of Amen regarding the making of Shabti for her service, and the lamentations which shall be uttered for her; and of the two papyri found with her mummy in the vault of the priest-Kings, one was an ordinary Ritual, and the other a formai Decree of Amen in favour of the deceased.
There are two points of minor importance yet to be noted in th« inscription which fills the upper part of the stela.
1. The omission of the speech to be spoken by Osiris. Speeches made by the deity to the deceased, being for the most part mère formulae conveying promises and assurances, are not unfrequently left ont where space is wanting.
2. Column 6. Nesi-Khonsu is hère styled |v "^^^^ "^fl © «Prophetess of Neb-
Hotep of Nesert». I am indebted to M. Naville for noting in this sentence a phonetic variant
of the group -^^ ; a name ascribed to varions localities. Neb- Hotep, again, is a title
given indiflferently to both Isis and Hathor. M. Naville attributes it in the présent instance
to Isis.
I now proceed to describe the pictorial détails of this stela.
84 Relics from the tomb
The wood (full, as before mentioned, of little kaots) is highly desiccated, and eut neither with, nor across, the grain, but at a long slant. The face of the tablet is overlaid with a thin coat of white, yellowed by âge and covered with innumerable fly-specks of ancient date. Below the inscription are represented — 1. To the right, Nesi-Khonsu; a vase of incense ()l j in one hand; the other hand upUfted in adoration: — 2. To the left, Osiris crowned with the Atef headdress and grasping the tiail and crook. Between the God and his worshipper stands a small altar surmounted by a Ubation-vessel and a lotus. The figures, outlined in black, are drawn with an unfalterhig freedom and purity of Une which recalls the best period of Egyptian draughtmanship. Tliis is especially noticeable in the figure of Nesi-Khonsu, whose drapery, supposed to be transparent, is left in outline, and shows the form beneath. Where filled in with colour, as in the upper half of the figure of Osiris, the pigments are laid on with such solidity that they may be said, in the literal acceptation of the word, to be embossed upon the surface of the tablet. Yet, eveu where so erabossed, the colour stops short of the black outUne, upon which it never encroaches.
Osiris.
Face, ueck and hands Green (terra verte).
Atef crown Yellow (Chrome mixed with white).
Pedum and Flagdlwn Pale yellow (Chrome largely mixed with white).
Plumes of the Atef, as also the armsl
Blue (Cobalt mixed with wiiite and a little verditer). and body of Osiris, to waist
Fillet round Atef, and sash with long! j^Red ochre mixed with a little white, and appa-
ends round waist I ^ jrently with a slight admixtuie of crimson madder.)
Beard Black.
Lower Limbs White.
Collar, — The collar apparently consists of two distinct necklets; the upper one beiiig a plain circlet coloured pale yellow, the lower one representing black cabochon drops on a white ground.
Nesi-Khonsu.
Face, figure, and drapery delicately outlined in black upon the white ground of the stela. Earrings, bracelets, collar and incense -
vase
Pale yellow
Cône on head Red and white
Lotus-bud on head Green and white
Hair Black
Fillet White
pigments
the
same
as above.
ACCESSORIES.
Altar and libation -vessel Tawny (Raw Umber).
Lotus: — Calyx, green (terra verte); petals, pale Mue (cobalt largely mixed with white); stem, red (Red ochre mixed with white and crimson madder).
The hieroglyphs are boldly put in with the brush, in black, and the columns are divided by red Hnes.
OF THE PrIEST-KINGS AT DaYR-EL-BaHAREE.
The features of Nesi-Khonsu are characteristic of the pictorial art of the XXP* Dynasty, aud bear a marked resemblance to the features conventionally given to Notem-Maut and Makara, in tlie illustrations to the Situais of thèse Queens.
4. The funereal Papyrus of Prince Aaha Tat-f-Pthah-au-f-Ankh.
This papyrus, which is in unusually fine préservation, measures 9 feet in length by 12 inches in breadth. The ten introductory columns are written in the hieroglyphic character; the rest in a square, compact hieratic hand, very similar to the hieratic writing of the papyrus photographed in PI: XV. of Professor Maspero's «Trouvaille de Deïr-el-Bahar/' » K The présent document contains four Chapters of the Ritual, beginning with Chapter XXIII. It reads as a whole from right to left; but is occasioually varied by passages reading from left to right. The text is written in vertical columns, the glosses being rubricated in the usual manner.
The papyrus of Aaha Tat-f-Pthah-au-f-Ankh commences with a vignette representiug the deceased in adoration before Osiris. In bis right hand he holds a vase of incense (^); on bis head, he wears the cône, lotus-bud and fiUet. He is clothed in the Shenti, or tunic, over which falls a long transparent robe with loose sleeves. Opposite to him sits Osiris enthroned upon a raised dais, wearing the Atef crown, and grasping the pedum and jlagellum. A small altar, upon which are seen a libation -vase and a full-blowu lotus-blossom, stands in front of the dais; while upon an upright staff, apparently supported on the feet of the God, is suspended the panther-skin mantle of the deceased prince, so indicating bis priestly rank. The treatment of this vignette is particularly sober, only a little red being employed to tint the cushion aud ornamentation of the throne of Osiris. The face and hands of the God are black; the Atef is left white; even the lotus flower is uncoloured. The figure of Aaha Tat-f-Phtah-au-f-Ankh is drawn entirely with the pen. The ten introductory columns of hieroglyphic text occupy the irregular space above the heads of the figures.
The inscription reads as follows: —
AAAAAA
in
I 1. Saith Osiris, Lord of Eternity Over ' "^
the j 2. DwelUng in Amenti,
head of | 3, Résident in
Osiris. I . . , ,
l 4. Abydos.
oT Tlîî I
1) i. e. The second papyrus of Nesi-Khonsu, being the Decree of Amen before-mentioned.
ReLICS FROM THE TOMB ETC.
Over
the
head of
deceased.
5. May he grant thousands of sepalchral repasts, thousands of pure and good tbings
