The Mastabas of Qar and Idu G 7101 and 7102 - Digitally Revised and Enhanced Edition

Part II - Idu G 7102

Section 2.4 - Facade

Facade in relation with area north of G7110-7120; Qar(G7101) and Idu (G7102) (click to enlarge)

The architrave consists of two large blocks joining precisely over the center of the door (text described below) and a standing figure of Idu at the right facing left (pls. XVII; fig. 33). 

Pl. XVII a. Idu, architrave, left side

Pl. XVII b. Idu, architrave, right side

Figure 33. Idu (G7102). Architrave (Click to enlarge)

He holds a long staff diagonally with his right hand and a scepter horizontally with his left, the scepter passing behind him, and wears a short pointed skirt painted yellow, a broad collar and wristlet painted blue, and a tight fitting wig; the body was painted red. All color has now disappeared. Above these fitting blocks is an overhang (eave) with sloping element, also of two blocks, with the shorter block on the left (east), and above these blocks two additional fitting blocks, the shorter block on the right (west), with the two lines of text arranged so that the first reads from right to left and continues the text in the second line from left to right (see text below). The hieroglyphs are finely cut with considerable interior detail (pl. XVII; fig. 33). The six blocks which compose this monumental architrave are set on the natural rock above the entrance; they are now the only masonry blocks used in the chapel, which is otherwise cut from the natural rock.

 Inner court; horizontal inscription above eave (pl. XVII; fig. 33)  (Click to locate)

(l) Ḏd pr.n(.i) m niwt(.i) hꜣi.n(.i) m spt(.i) ir.n(.i) mꜣꜥt n nb.s sḥtp.n(.i) nṯr m mrrt.f ḏd.n(.i) nfr wḥm(.i) nfr ḏd.n(.i) mꜣꜥ ir.n(.i) mꜣꜥ di(.i) t n ḥḳr ḥbs  (2) n ḥꜣi snḏ.n(.i) it(.i) iꜣm.n(.i) mwt(.i) m sḫmt n(.i) im n sp ḏd(.i) ḫt nb ḏw iw šꜣb r rmṯ nbw n mrr(.i) hr.t(i) bꜣḳ.t(i) wnn imꜣḫ(.i) ḫr nṯr ḫr rmṯ ḏt. 1

"(1) Recitation: I came forth from my town, I descended from my district. I performed truth for its lord, I caused the god to be satisfied with what pleased him. I spoke good and repeated good. I spoke rightly and acted rightly. I gave bread to the hungry, clothing (2) to the naked. To the best of my ability I feared my father and was pleasant to my mother. Never did I speak anything evil, unjust, or crooked 2 against any people,

because I desired that one be satisfied and one be unmolested 3 and that I be well-provided before the god and before men forever.”

 Architrave Click to locate

Inscription below eave in seven horizontal lines, one vertical column at right, and standing figure of Idu on right facing left, reading left to right (pl. XVII; fig. 33): (1) Ḥtp di nswt ḥtp di Inpw ḫnty sḥ-nṯr tpy ḏw.f imy wt nb tꜣ ḏsr nb ḳrs nfr m ẖryt-nṯr ḥtp di Wsir ḳrs.t(i).f nfr m is.f nt(y) m imnt ḫp.f ḥr wꜣwt nfrt, (2) šms.t(i).f in kꜣw.f šsp.t(i) ꜥ.f in nṯr ꜥꜣ sšm.t(i).f ḥr wꜣwt ḏsrt ḫppt imꜣḫw ḥr.s siꜥ(r).t(i).f n nṯr ꜥꜣ m imꜣḫw, (3) mrrw nṯr ꜥꜣ nb imꜣḫ nb ḳrs nfr m ẖryt-nṯr pr(t)-ḫrw (t ḥnḳt pꜣt) n.f m imnt ꜥꜣ wrt sꜣḫ.t(i).f in ẖry(w)-ḥꜣbt wtw ꜥšꜣ wrt, (4) m wpt rnpt m Ḏḥwtyt m tpy rnpt m Wꜣg m ḥꜣb Skr m ḥꜣb wr m Rkḥ m Sꜣḏ m prt Mnw, (5) m ... nt ꜣbd m tpyw rnpwt m tpyw mḏw nbw m ḥꜣb nb ꜥꜣ m ẖrt-hrw rꜥ nb mꜣ-ḥḏ ḫꜣ iwꜣ ẖꜣ r ḫꜣ ṯ(rp) ḫꜣ, (6) st ḫꜣ s ḫꜣ mnwt ḫꜣ šs ḫꜣ mnḫt ḫꜣ t ḫꜣ pꜣt ḫꜣ ḥnḳt ḫꜣ m t wꜥb n nṯr ꜥꜣ n imy-r wpt ḥtp-nṯr m prwy imꜣḫw ḫr nṯr ꜥꜣ, (7) ẖry tp nswt mdw rḫyt iwn knmwt ḥry sštꜣ n wḏꜥ mdw ḥm-nṯr Mꜣꜥt sšꜥ nswt ḫft ḥr imy-r sš mrt imꜣḫw ḫr Inpw tpy ḏw.f imy wt, (8) sšꜥ nswt ḫft ḥr imy-r sš mrt Idw. 

“(1) An offering which the king gives and an offering which Anubis gives, foremost of the divine booth, he who is upon his hill, he who is in the place of embalming, lord of the sacred land, lord of a goodly burial in the necropolis, and an offering which Osiris gives: that he be buried well in his tomb which is in the west, that he travel upon the good ways, (2) that he be accompanied by his kas, that his hand be taken by the great god, that he be conducted upon the splendid roads on which the well-provided travel, that he be raised to the great god as a well-provided one, (3) whom the great god loves; [as a] lord of reverence, possessor of a good burial in the necropolis. May an invocation offering (bread, beer, cakes) come forth for him in the west very greatly. May he be glorified very greatly by lectors and embalmers, (4) at the New Year’s festival, at the Thot festival, at the first of the year, at the Wag-feast, at the feast of Sokar, at the great festival, at the fire-lighting festival, at the Sadj festival, at the coming forth of Min, (5) at the half-month (and) month festivals, at the seasonal feasts, at the beginning of all decades, at all great festivals, and throughout the course of every day: a thousand oryxes, a thousand bulls, a thousand ro-geese, a thousand ṯrp geese, (6) a thousand set birds, a thousand se-birds, a thousand pidgeons, a thousand clothes, a thousand linen, a thousand bread, a thousand cakes, a thousand beer, as pure bread of the great god, for the overseer of the allocation of divine offerings in the two houses, one well provided before the great god, (7) he who is at the head of the king, staff of the people, pillar of Kenmet, privy to the secrets of judgement, priest of Maat, king’s letter scribe in the presence, overseer of scribes of the meret-serfs, well-provided before Anubis who is on his hill, who is in the place of embalming, (8) king’s letter scribe in the presence, overseer of scribes of the meret-serfs, 4 Idu.”

At the right end of the architrave, facing lines (1) to (8) of the inscription, is a striding figure of Idu, facing left. He wears a tight wig, a broad collar, and bracelets on each wrist, and a pointed, pleated skirt. He holds a long staff in his right hand and a sekhem-wand, passing behind the skirt, in his left.

Photos from the Archive

G 7102, Idu, architrave, looking S

G 7102, Idu, inscribed architrave over chapel entrance, looking S

G 7102, Idu, inscribed architrave over entrance to chapel, west half, looking SW