The royal scribe

The royal scribe and chief priest-reader Nebmerutef

The royal scribe Nebmertuf writing under the protection of the Moon God Thoth, patron of the scribes (schist). Reign of Amenhotep III. New Kingdom, 18th Dynasty, ca. 1391-1353 BC. in the Louvre.

This small group shows a high-ranking scribe at work, reading an unrolled papyrus. He is under the protection of the god Thoth, patron of the scribes, represented in his animal form as a baboon. The inscriptions identify him as Nebmerutef, known to have been an important figure at the time of Amenophis III. The piece is a good example of the mannered style characteristic of his reign.

Description

A high official is portrayed in the attitude of a scribe, under the attentive gaze of the god Thoth, patron of writing. He is engrossed in reading a document, seated cross-legged on the ground, with his torso leaning slightly forward, and his right hand resting on the papyrus. He wears a short-sleeved shirt, which falls down over a loincloth knotted at the waist. In accordance with the fashion of the time, his delicately carved curls can be seen beneath the radiating tresses of the wig. Above him, the baboon sacred to Thoth is seated on a pedestal; the damaged muzzle emerges from a broad ruff, while the upper part of the body is covered in thick fur. Between the scribe and the baboon-god stands an offering table