419

Daressy #: --

Owner: TT 34 Montuemhat

Reasons: Inscription

Transliteration: jmAxy xr Asjr Hm-nTr 4 nw jmn mnTw-m-HAt mAa-xrw Hmt=f mrt=f rxt-nswt nbt pr ns-xnsw mAat-xrw

Translation: Revered one before Osiris, fourth prophet of Amun, Montuemhat justified, his wife whom he loved, king's acquaintance, mistress of the house, Neskhons justified.

Date: 25th Dynasty Taharqa to 26th Dyn. Psamtik I.

Length: 22 cm (Naguib 1987 [BSÉG 11]: 82)

Colours: Red face (Munsell: 2.5YR 4/6. Ibid.: 82). White, often in a thick layer (cf. 'Image Gallery' section below). Additionally, some of other Montuemhat cones (# 418, # 420, # 461, # 472, # 485, # 486, and # 604) also exhibit a similar thick white layer. This practice was not exclusive to Montuemhat, but was also observed in the cases of other Late Dynasty officials, including TT 36 Ibi (# 450, # 451, # 610, and # 641/B.14), TT 410 Mutirdis (# 48, # 387, # 603, and # 608. # 48 and # 603), TT 196 Padihorresnet (# 515), and TT 279 Pabasa (# 92, # 468, and # 469). The presence of a thick white layer on the cones of these individuals suggests a potential influence from Montuemhat, who was the earliest active and powerful figure among the five.

Findspots:

• Unknown examples from TT 386 at Asasif (Arnold and Settgast 1965 [MDAIK 20]: 61).

• One from the lower Asasif (MET: 13.180.74).

• One from near KV O (Reeves 1990: 174, 179, and 312).

• One of # 418-420 from TT 61 (Dziobek 1994: 42).

• # 418-420 are extensively dispersed throughout the Theban Necropolis (Dziobek 1994: 42).

• Two from TT 34 (Nasr 1997: 218-221).

• One from Medinet Habu (Teeter et al.2003: 179).

Remarks: 

• The ascribed owner is identical to that of # 409, # 410, # 411, # 418, # 420, # 449, # 460, # 461, # 472, # 473, # 485, # 486, # 604, and # 656/B.29.

• Of the 15 known types of seal impressions, 11 (# 411, # 418, # 419, # 420, # 449, # 461, # 472, # 485, # 486, # 604, and # 656/B.29) are certain to be authentic and to have existed. The dimensions, design, textual content, and inscription style of # 411, # 418, # 419, # 420, # 449, # 461, # 472, # 485, and # 486 suggest that the maker of them is the same indivisual. However, it is unclear whether they were produced simultaneously or at different points in time. Montuemhat is known to have had three wives, each of whom is represented by a cone # 418, # 419, # 420, # 472, and # 485. If Montuemhat married the three wives simultaneously, it is possible that these cones were made at the same time. However, if he married the three wives sequentially, it is possible that each cone was created in the order of the marriages, or they might have been made simultaneously after he married the third wife.

• See also 01-238 in Davies's notebook, 05-066 & 076 in Macadam's DALEX file 1, and 06-063, 068, 101, & 111 in his DALEX file 2.

Image Gallery