Name of Artifact:‌ Statue of the Official Merti

Original Country:‌ Egypt

Year of Production:‌ Old Kingdom, Dynasty 5, reign of Isesi-Unis (ca. 2381-2323 B.C.)

Material:‌ Painted and gessoed acacia wood

Dimensions:‌ H. 39 3/4 in. (101 cm)

Current Location:‌ The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA

Background Information:‌
This nearly life-sized statue depicts Merti, an official who served in the king’s administration during the Old Kingdom of ancient Egypt, specifically under the reign of Isesi-Unis (ca. 2381-2323 B.C.). Merti’s long and significant career is recorded in his mastaba tomb at the royal cemetery of Saqqara, where he served as a provincial governor. His elite status is reflected in the eleven wood statues of himself and his wife hidden in the serdab-chamber of his tomb, where ka-statues are generally housed.

The statue shows Merti wearing an elaborately pleated kilt and holding a staff and a sekhem-scepter, symbols of authority. Writing was integrated into many funerary objects, and the sekhem-scepter in his right hand incorporates the hieroglyph representing the concept “to have power” in its design. This emphasis on authority reflects the desire of an important official to have his status acknowledged for eternity. The painted and gessoed acacia wood has a vibrant appearance, with the colors and details still visible despite its age.