48
Daressy #: --
Owner: TT 410 Mutirdis
Reasons: Inscription and provenience
Transliteration: jmAxy xr Asjr wrt aAt n [...] rx-nswt mAa mrj=f mwt-jr-dj=s mAa-xrw sAt n mry-nTrt pA-hb mAa-xrw [...] Ast-n-pr-ms mAa-xrw dwA (?)=s ra
Translation: Revered one before Osiris, great one in [...], true king's acquaintance, his beloved, Mutirdis justified, born of the one beloved of the god, Paheb justified, [...] Asetenpermose justified, She praising Re.
Date: Psamtik I (Assmann 1977: 9).
Length: 20. 5 cm (BM: EA 41204)
Colours: A notable proportion of the cones for our Mutirdis are painted white, often in a thick layer (cf. the 'Image Gallery' section of # 48, # 387, # 603, and # 608). The same style is evident in the cones owned by TT 36 Ibi, # 450, # 451, # 610, and # 641/B.14, as well as those owned by TT 279 Pabasa (Ibi's successor), who held # 92 and # 468, and # 469. Pabasa, Ibi, and Mutirdis lived in the same period and it seems probable that the three individuals exerted an influence on each other with regard to the design of the cones (cf the 'Remarks' section below).
Findspots:
Unknown examples from TT 386 area (Arnold and Settgast 1965 [MDAIK 20]: 61).
35 from the court of TT 410 (Arnold and Settgast 1966 [MDAIK 21]: 83).
Two from Asasif (Budka 2010: 318, 736).
Remarks:
As shown here, this seal has a rectangular outline stamped on a circular face (Roeder 1924: 303; BM: EA 41204).
The ascribed owner is identical to that of # 387, # 603, and # 608. # 48 and # 603 were discovered in the first (eastern) court of TT 410, whilst # 387 and # 608 were found in the second (western) court (Arnold and Settgast 1966 [MDAIK 21]: 83). Upon close examination of the four types, it becomes apparent that each is distinct in terms of outline shape and the presence of human figures. # 48 has a square outline without any human figures, while # 387 has a circular outline without any human figures. # 603 has a circular outline with human figures, and # 608 has a square outline with human figures. As I mentioned above, Mutirdis divided the four cones into two groups (# 48 - # 603 and # 387 - # 608), each group consists of a cone with a square face, one with a circular face, one with a human figure, and one without a human figure. This suggests that all four cones were created at the same time.
During the same period, additional officials possessing cones with various designs were TT 36 Ibi, who held # 450, # 451, # 610, # 641/B.14, # 642/B.15, and # 643/B.16 and TT 279 Pabasa, who possessed # 92 and # 469, and # 469.
See also 01-090 in Davies's notebook, 04-088 in Macadam's Green file, 05-005, 048 & 060 in Macadam's DALEX file 1, and 06-032, 056, 063, & 095 in his DALEX file 2.