13. Statuette of Tjetji

This statuette was found in the tomb of Tjetji, who was the ‘king’s royal acquaintance’ and ‘sole ornament of the king’, titles linked to priestesses of Hathor. The linen bandages with which her mummy was wrapped were inscribed with her name. Several female statuettes found in her tomb represented her ba (spirit), while male ones represented her husband’s ba. Most of her statuettes are nude, which is rare: nudity was reserved for people with menial or ritual roles in the Old Kingdom. The cult of Hathor, the goddess of childbirth, music, and dance, saw its heyday during that time at Naga ed-Deir. The site became an important regional location for Hathoric cult: nearly 34 priestesses of Hathor are known from this area alone. Nude female figurines may have symbolically conjured up a myth in which Hathor exposed herself to wake up Ra, the sun god. The encounter was enacted in the human realm through the khener dance, the participants of which were frequently women from Nubia. While Tjetji’s identity and connection with Hathoric cult cannot be ascertained, her high status and mostly nude imagery could suggest she derived her status from a related role. Scan the brown QR code below to see where the figurine was found.