461

Daressy #: 163

Owner: TT 34 Montuemhat

Reasons: Inscription

Transliteration: Asjr jrj-pat HAtj-a Hm-nTr 4 nw jmn sS Hwt-nTr pr-jmn sHD Hmw-nTr m Hwt jmj-rA Smaw mnTw-m-HAt mAa-xrw

Translation: Osiris, hereditary noble, mayor, fourth prophet of Amun, scribe of the temple, house of Amun, vice-overseer of prophets in the temples, overseer of Upper Egypt, Montuemhat justified.

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

Length: 10.7 digits (Pellegrini 1902: 45), 10.7 digits (Ibid.: 45), 11.7 digits (Louvre: E 13170 (CM 155, CF 125)).

Colours: One example is brownish clay with light coloured slurry over the surface and a bright red layer of clay under the slurry. Another is dark red clay with bright red pigment on the face (Teeter et al. 2003: 182). White slip (Goddard 2012: '1951.51'). Thick white. Some of other Montuemhat cones (# 418, # 419, # 420, # 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:

• One (MMA: 15.10.45) from Khokhah.

• One from TT 34 (Nasr 1997: 218-219).

• Two from Medinet Habu (Teeter et al. 2003: 182).

Remarks: 

• The ascribed owner is identical to that of  # 409, # 410, # 411, # 418, # 419, # 420, # 449, # 460, # 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 01-224 & 225 in Davies's notebook, 05-066 in Macadam's DALEX file 1, and 06-061, 065, 068, 081, 085, 099, 101, & 111 in his DALEX file 2.

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