48. Relief with Butchering Scene

This relief, depicting a butchering scene, once decorated the tomb of Montuemhat, the mayor of Thebes and de facto ruler of Upper Egypt at the time of the Kushite-Saite transition. The high-quality art in his tomb demonstrates his wealth and political acumen. While Thebes was still under Taharqa’s control, he married one of Piye’s granddaughters (Wadjerenes) to solidify his relationship with the Kushites. His tomb art was heavily influenced by the Kushitic style in that phase. Under the new regime, he adopted a daughter of the incoming ruler, Psamtik I, and switched to the Saite style which hearkened back to Old and Middle Kingdom art. This work demonstrates that artistic representation sometimes reflects political calculations and the malleability of cultural expression. Scan the brown QR code below to see an example of the earlier style Mentuemhat used.