Nefermaat
Encyclopedia
Nefermaat I was an Egypt
ian 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".
, the pharaoh and founder of the 4th Dynasty of Egypt, and his first wife. He was a half-brother of Khufu
. Nefermaat's wife was Itet
, also spelled as Atet. Fifteen of Nefermaat's children are named in his tomb, sons Hemiunu, Isu, Teta, Khentimeresh and daughters Djefatsen and Isesu are depicted as adults, while sons Itisen, Inkaef, Serfka, Wehemka, Shepseska, Kakhent, Ankhersheretef, Ankherfenedjef, Buneb, Shepsesneb and Nebkhenet and daughter Pageti are shown as children. His son Hemiunu is probably identical with vizier
Hemiunu who was believed to have helped plan the Great Pyramids. One of Nefermaat's sisters, Nefertkau
had a son also called Nefermaat
.
16 at Meidum
. Nefermaat was one of several relatives of Pharaoh Sneferu who was buried in Meidum. The tomb is known for the special technique used for drawing the scenes. Sculptors carved deeply incised images which were then filled with colored paste. This method was labor intensive and the paste tended to dry, crack and then fall out. The technique results in vividly colored scenes. This tomb is the only one known to date showing this technique. The fact that the plaster cracked resulting in the loss of the paste likely led to the craftsmen abandoning this type of decoration.
Nefermaat's tomb is also famous for the scene referred to as the Meidum Geese (now in the Egyptian Museum
, JE 34571/ CG 1742). The scene executed in painted plaster was discovered in 1871 by Auguste Mariette
. The full scene depicts six geese; three pointing to the left and three pointing to the right. Each group of three geese consists of one goose shown with his head bowed down, eating grass and two geese with their heads held up. The group of three animals actually represents many geese, as three represents the plural in Egyptian writing. There are differences in the plumage of the birds which break the overall symmetry of the scene. This example of Egyptian painting is considered a masterpiece.
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...
ian prince, a son of 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...
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
Maat
Maat is a naval rank of the German navy equivalent to the army rank of Unteroffizier. A Maat is considered the equivalent of a junior Petty Officer in the navies of many other nations....
is beautiful".
Biography
Nefermaat was the eldest son of SneferuSneferu
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...
, the pharaoh and founder of the 4th Dynasty of Egypt, and his first wife. He was a half-brother 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...
. Nefermaat's wife was 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...
, also spelled as Atet. Fifteen of Nefermaat's children are named in his tomb, sons Hemiunu, Isu, Teta, Khentimeresh and daughters Djefatsen and Isesu are depicted as adults, while sons Itisen, Inkaef, Serfka, Wehemka, Shepseska, Kakhent, Ankhersheretef, Ankherfenedjef, Buneb, Shepsesneb and Nebkhenet and daughter Pageti are shown as children. His son Hemiunu is probably identical with vizier
Vizier (Ancient Egypt)
The vizier was the highest official in Ancient Egypt to serve the king, or pharaoh during the Old, Middle, and New Kingdoms. Vizier is the generally accepted rendering of ancient Egyptian tjati, tjaty etc, among Egyptologists...
Hemiunu who was believed to have helped plan the Great Pyramids. One of Nefermaat's sisters, Nefertkau
Nefertkau
Nefertkau I was a 4th dynasty Princess of Egypt. She was the eldest daughter of King Sneferu and the mother of vizier Nefermaat II.- Family :Nefertkau was a daughter of pharaoh Sneferu and hence a half-sister to king Khufu...
had a son also called Nefermaat
Nefermaat II
Nefermaat II was an Egyptian prince during the 4th dynasty and vizier of his cousin Khafra.- Etymology :Nefer means "beautiful", and maat means "order". Ma'at is a goddess of order and justice. So, Nefermaat means "beautiful Ma'at".- Biography :...
.
Tomb
Nefermaat was buried in mastabaMastaba
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...
16 at Meidum
Meidum
Located about 100 km south of modern Cairo, Meidum or Maidum is the location of a large pyramid, and several large mud-brick mastabas.-Pyramid:...
. Nefermaat was one of several relatives of Pharaoh Sneferu who was buried in Meidum. The tomb is known for the special technique used for drawing the scenes. Sculptors carved deeply incised images which were then filled with colored paste. This method was labor intensive and the paste tended to dry, crack and then fall out. The technique results in vividly colored scenes. This tomb is the only one known to date showing this technique. The fact that the plaster cracked resulting in the loss of the paste likely led to the craftsmen abandoning this type of decoration.
Nefermaat's tomb is also famous for the scene referred to as the Meidum Geese (now in the Egyptian Museum
Egyptian Museum
The Museum of Egyptian Antiquities, known commonly as the Egyptian Museum, in Cairo, Egypt, is home to an extensive collection of ancient Egyptian antiquities. It has 120,000 items, with a representative amount on display, the remainder in storerooms....
, JE 34571/ CG 1742). The scene executed in painted plaster was discovered in 1871 by Auguste Mariette
Auguste Mariette
François Auguste Ferdinand Mariette was a French scholar, archaeologist and Egyptologist, the designer of the rebuilt Egyptian Museum under Maximilian of Austria orders when the later had gained control of the artifacts collected to that point.-Early career:Born at Boulogne-sur-Mer, Mariette...
. The full scene depicts six geese; three pointing to the left and three pointing to the right. Each group of three geese consists of one goose shown with his head bowed down, eating grass and two geese with their heads held up. The group of three animals actually represents many geese, as three represents the plural in Egyptian writing. There are differences in the plumage of the birds which break the overall symmetry of the scene. This example of Egyptian painting is considered a masterpiece.