Art Institute of Chicago

Stela of Tjenti and Nefret

Egyptian; probably tomb G 3035, Giza, Egypt

Date

Old Kingdom, Dynasty 4, about 2540 BCE

Medium

Limestone

Culture

Egypt

Department

Arts of Africa

Institution

Art Institute of Chicago

Seated on a cushioned chair, an official named Tjenti extends his hand toward a table covered in tall loaves of bread. His wife, Nefret, strikes a similar pose opposite him. Scenes depicting families around a table laden with food for the afterlife were a standard decoration in ancient Egyptian tombs for generations. Displayed in chapels where descendants gathered to remember the dead, these images were eternal family portraits, ensuring an afterlife populated with loved ones. Here, Tjenti and Nefret are shown with their son Tjenti (standing on the right) and granddaughter Nefer-Hathor, who holds her index finger to her lips in a gesture symbolic of childhood. Following Egyptian artistic conventions, the figures are represented at different scales that denote their status within the family.

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