Hemon
Encyclopedia
Hemiunu is believed to be the architect
of the Great Pyramid
of Giza
, Egypt
.
Hemiunu was a son of Prince Nefermaat
and his wife Itet
, a grandson of Sneferu
and relative of Khufu
, the Old Kingdom
pharaoh
. Hemiunu had three sisters and many brothers.
In his tomb he is described as a hereditary prince, count, sealer of the king of Lower Egypt (jrj-pat HAtj-a xtmw-bjtj) and on a statue found in his serdab
(and now located in Hildesheim
), Hemiunu is given the titles: king's son of his body, chief justice and vizier, greatest of the five of the House of Thoth (sA nswt n XT=f tAjtj sAb TAtj wr djw pr-DHwtj).
As Vizier he succeeded Kanefer
, his uncle, and his father Nefermaat.
s of his image. Some stones of his mastaba
are marked with dates referring to Khufu's reign. His statue can be found at the Pelizaeus Museum
, Hildesheim
, Germany. This statue is scheduled to be loaned for the opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum
in 2011.
The extremely well-preserved seated statue is notable for its unusual realism, with Hemiunu's features only lightly stylised, and clearly based on his actual appearance. Equally, his body is frankly shown as flabby, with a notable accumulation of fat in the pectoral region. This contrasts with the more usual idealised virile representation of male subjects in royal portraiture in this and most succeeding periods of Ancient Egyptian art.
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
of the Great Pyramid
Great Pyramid of Giza
The Great Pyramid of Giza is the oldest and largest of the three pyramids in the Giza Necropolis bordering what is now El Giza, Egypt. It is the oldest of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, and the only one to remain largely intact...
of Giza
Giza Plateau
The Giza Plateau is a plateau that is located in Giza, Egypt. The famous Giza Necropolis is located in this geographical area, which is characterized by a sandy, desert climate and terrain with little vegetation....
, Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
.
Biography
rendering of Hemiunu |
Hemiunu was a son of Prince Nefermaat
Nefermaat
Nefermaat I was an Egyptian prince, a son of pharaoh Sneferu. He was a vizier possessing the titles of the king's eldest son, royal seal bearer, and prophet of Bastet. His name means "Maat is beautiful".- Biography :...
and his wife Itet
Itet
Itet, also known as Atet, was an Egyptian noblewoman, a wife of Prince Nefermaat, and daughter-in-law of pharaoh Sneferu. She was, with Nefermaat, a mother of three daughters and many sons. Her most famous son was Hemiunu...
, a grandson of Sneferu
Sneferu
Sneferu, also spelled as Snephru, Snefru or Snofru , was the founder of the Fourth dynasty of Egypt. Estimates of his reign vary, with for instance The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt suggesting a reign from around 2613 BC to 2589 BC, a reign of 24 years, while Rolf Krauss suggests a 30-year reign...
and relative of Khufu
Khufu
Khufu , also known as Cheops or, in Manetho, Suphis , was a Pharaoh of Ancient Egypt's Old Kingdom. He reigned from around 2589 to 2566 BC. Khufu was the second pharaoh of the Fourth Dynasty. He is generally accepted as being the builder of the Great Pyramid of Giza, one of the Seven Wonders of...
, the Old Kingdom
Old Kingdom
Old Kingdom is the name given to the period in the 3rd millennium BC when Egypt attained its first continuous peak of civilization in complexity and achievement – the first of three so-called "Kingdom" periods, which mark the high points of civilization in the lower Nile Valley .The term itself was...
pharaoh
Pharaoh
Pharaoh is a title used in many modern discussions of the ancient Egyptian rulers of all periods. The title originates in the term "pr-aa" which means "great house" and describes the royal palace...
. Hemiunu had three sisters and many brothers.
In his tomb he is described as a hereditary prince, count, sealer of the king of Lower Egypt (jrj-pat HAtj-a xtmw-bjtj) and on a statue found in his serdab
Serdab
A serdab , literally meaning "cold water", which became a loan word in Persian for 'cellar') is an ancient Egyptian tomb structure that served as a chamber for the Ka statue of a deceased individual. Used during the Old Kingdom, the serdab was a sealed chamber with a small slit or hole to allow the...
(and now located in Hildesheim
Hildesheim
Hildesheim is a city in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is located in the district of Hildesheim, about 30 km southeast of Hanover on the banks of the Innerste river, which is a small tributary of the Leine river...
), Hemiunu is given the titles: king's son of his body, chief justice and vizier, greatest of the five of the House of Thoth (sA nswt n XT=f tAjtj sAb TAtj wr djw pr-DHwtj).
As Vizier he succeeded Kanefer
Kanefer
Kanefer was an Egyptian prince. He lived during 4th or 5th dynasty of Egypt.His name means "Soul is Beautiful" .- Biography :...
, his uncle, and his father Nefermaat.
Tomb
His tomb lies close to Khufu's pyramid, and contains reliefRelief
Relief is a sculptural technique. The term relief is from the Latin verb levo, to raise. To create a sculpture in relief is thus to give the impression that the sculpted material has been raised above the background plane...
s of his image. Some stones of his mastaba
Mastaba
A mastaba, or "pr-djt" , is a type of ancient Egyptian tomb in the form of a flat-roofed, rectangular structure with outward sloping sides that marked the burial site of many eminent Egyptians of Egypt's ancient period...
are marked with dates referring to Khufu's reign. His statue can be found at the Pelizaeus Museum
Roemer-und-Pelizaeus-Museum
The Roemer- und Pelizaeus-Museum, in Hildesheim, Germany, is one of the most important museums in Europe with regard to Ancient Egyptian and Ancient Peruvian art. The museum also includes the second largest collection of Chinese porcelain in Europe...
, Hildesheim
Hildesheim
Hildesheim is a city in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is located in the district of Hildesheim, about 30 km southeast of Hanover on the banks of the Innerste river, which is a small tributary of the Leine river...
, Germany. This statue is scheduled to be loaned for the opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum
Grand Egyptian Museum
The Grand Egyptian Museum , also known as the Giza Museum, is a planned museum of artifacts of ancient Egypt. Described as the largest archaeological museum in the world, the USD 550 million museum is scheduled to open in 2013...
in 2011.
The extremely well-preserved seated statue is notable for its unusual realism, with Hemiunu's features only lightly stylised, and clearly based on his actual appearance. Equally, his body is frankly shown as flabby, with a notable accumulation of fat in the pectoral region. This contrasts with the more usual idealised virile representation of male subjects in royal portraiture in this and most succeeding periods of Ancient Egyptian art.