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

Part II - Idu G 7102

Section 3.5 - Offering Chamber - West Wall, South of Niche

West Wall (South of Niche) of the Offering Chamber in relation with area north of G7110-7120; Qar(G7101) and Idu (G7102) (click to enlarge)

 West Wall, South of Niche

Length ca. 1.50 m. General description: At the right (north) Idu is seated facing left on a chair before a table of bread. Under the chair sits his wife facing left. Over and beyond the table of bread (to the south) are three registers of offerings and offering-bearers, extending to the south end of the wall. The preceding are identified as registers 1 to 3. Below this is a narrow band of inscription reading right to left running the full length of the area. At the bottom of the area is register 4, with a short vertical text at right, and a procession of butchers, etc., facing right running the length of the wall.

Pl. XXVII a. Idu, west wall, left of niche, top left (left), and Pl. XXVII b. Idu, west wall, left of niche, top right (right)

Pl. XXVIII a. Idu, west wall, left of niche, top right

Pl. XXVIII b. Idu, west wall, left of niche, middle right

Pl. XXVIII c. Idu, west wall, Ieft of niche, bottom right

Pl. XXVII b. Idu, west wall, left of niche, top right (left), and Figure 39. Idu (G 7102). West wall, south of stela niche (detail) (right)

 Scene

Idu facing left is seated on a chair with low back and lion legs at back. He wears a short curled wig with a fillet, broad collar, bracelets, and a short skirt. His right arm is extended toward the table of bread, his left, holding a folded cloth, is in his lap. Over his head is an inscription in six columns and one horizontal line, reading left to right: (1) H̱ry tp nswt mdw rḫyt iwn knmwt wḏꜥ mdw, (2) sš ꜥ nswt ḫft ḥr imꜣḫw, (3) imy-r sš mrt smꜣꜥ wḏꜥ mdw, (4) imꜣḫw ḫr Inpw tpy ḏw.f nb tꜣ ḏsr, (5) imꜣḫw ḫr Wsir nb Ḏdw, (6) imꜣḫw ḫr Ptḥ rsy inb.f (7) Idw, “(1) He who is at the head of the king, staff of the rekhyet-people, pillar of Kenmet, determiner of disputes, (2) king’s letter scribe in the presence, the well-provided one, (3) overseer of the scribes of the meret-serfs, who makes true the judgments, (4) one well-provided before Anubis upon his hill, lord of the divine land, (5) one well-provided before Osiris, lord of Busiris, (6) one well-provided before Ptah, south of his wall, (7) Idu.” Under Idu’s chair, his wife is seated on the ground. She wears a fillet around her head, a broad collar, and a dress with two shoulder straps. With her right hand she grasps Idu’s leg and her left rests in her lap. Over her is the inscription Mrt-it.s and ḥmt.f mrt.f, “Meretyotes, his beloved wife.”

 Register 1

A pile of assorted offerings of food and drink without captions.

 Register 2

Over a table of bread are five “thousand” signs over signs for cloths, linen, fowl, cattle, and oryx. Then a procession of offering-bearers (a) to (e).

(2a) Man wearing a short skirt. In his left hand he holds out a vessel by its stem and with his right removes a lid from it. Captions: In front of his face sꜣ.f “his son”; in front of his legs: sꜣb sḥd sšw Ḳꜣr, “sꜣb-official, inspector of scribes, Qar.”

(2b) Man wearing a short skirt. He holds up ajar on his open left hand, has a lettuce in his right, and a cord with which he is leading a small oryx. Caption: sꜣ.f sꜣb sš Idw, “His son, the sꜣb-official, scribe, Idu.”

(2c) Man wearing a short skirt. He balances a tray with food on his left shoulder, has a lotus blossom with buds in his right hand, and leads on a rope a small gazelle. Caption: imy-r pr In-di.f-iy-n(.i), “the steward Indiefyeyni.” 1

(2d) Man with short skirt. He balances a tray with offerings on his left shoulder, has a hemispherical object held against his chest on a tray in his right hand, and a bunch of vegetables hung from his right elbow and a jar hung from his left elbow. Caption: sš imy-r pr Nḫt, “the scribe, the steward Nakht.”

(2e) Man with short skirt. He balances a tray of food on his left shoulder and a bunch of lotus hangs from his left elbow. In his right hand he holds a lettuce. Caption: ḥm-kꜣ imy-ḫt Idw, “subordinate funerary priest Idu.”

 Register 3

From right to left. Under the table of bread (Register 2): At right: a stand with three vases with lids and spouts; at left: three “thousand”—signs over bread, beer, and cakes. Under these a ewer and basin. To the left again, a pile of offerings: various tall jars, lying over which are a trussed duck with wrung neck and pomegranates(?), a cut of meat, onions, etc. The register continues (left) with three men facing right bearing trays of food on their shoulders (3a to 3c).

(3a) A man holds a lettuce in his right hand, a tray with offerings on his left shoulder, and vegetables hung on his left elbow. In front is the name Idu (with the signs r and I carved over it).

(3b) A man carries a tray of food on each shoulder with a bag hanging from the right elbow and a lotus hanging from the left elbow. The name Idu is inscribed in front.

(3c) A man carries a tray of food on his left shoulder and a string of onions(?) over his left elbow. On his right arm he carries a goose and has a jar hanging from the elbow. In front of his feet an ibex is held by a rope. The caption reads: ḥm-kꜣ ꜥnḫ n.f, “funerary priest Ankhenef.”

 Horizontal Text

Beneath Register 3, running full length of the area, is a single line of text from right to left: int nḏt-ḥr n sš ꜥ nswt ḫft ḥr imy-r sšw mrt Idw innw m niwwt.f nt tꜣ-mḥw šmꜥw in ḥmw-kꜣ.f nt pr ḏt, “bringing gifts for the king’s letter scribe in the presence, overseer of scribes of the meret-serfs, Idu; which are brought from his towns of Lower and Upper Egypt by his funerary priests of the house of eternity.”

 Register 4

Butchers. Reading right to left: full length of area. Vertical inscription at right: sḫpt ḥꜣt stp, followed by a joint of meat, a duck, a widgeon(?), an oryx-head, an ox-head, “bringing first choice” (of the above meats).

(4a) Man in short skirt advancing to right, carrying a haunch of beef: sš sḥḏ ḥmw-kꜣ Pḥn..., “scribe, inspector of funerary priests, Pehen ....”

(4b) Man in short skirt advancing to right, carrying a haunch of beef: sš imy-r pr...s, “scribe, steward... s.”

(4c) Man in short skirt advancing to right, carrying a haunch of beef: (incomplete) sš, “scribe.”

(4d) Two men cutting up an ox: a standing man facing left at head of ox and a second man facing right leaning over the carcass with a knife. Over the scene: iri r.k wn, “do it quickly.”

(4e) Standing man facing left with a large pot on his left arm: iri(.i) di(.i) ḫpt, “I act, I make haste.”

(4f) A man facing right leaning over a carcass (?) on the ground with a knife in his hand (only preserved in part): iry(.i) r ḥst.k, and, below, dmi, “I do it to your satisfaction,” and “sharpening.”

(4g) A man facing left leaning over (lower part missing): di n.(i) iwf, “give the meat to me.”

Photos from the Archive

G 7102, Idu, chapel, W wall, S of false door niche, N half, lower part, register of relief, looking W

G 7102, Idu, chapel, W wall, S of false door niche, S half, upper part, registers of relief, looking West

G 7102, Idu, chapel, W wall, S of false door niche, N half, upper part, relief (offering table scene), looking W

G 7102, Idu, chapel, W wall, S of false door niche, S half, upper part, registers of relief, looking W

G 7102, Idu, chapel, W wall, S of false door niche, N half, upper part, relief (offering table scene), looking West