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Egyptian Artifacts

False Door of Tjetji and Debet

This is an incomplete False Door (right and left panels) and a door jamb (upper panel) from the tomb π“‡‹π“«π“Šƒπ“‰ of Tjetji 𓍿𓍿𓇋 and his wife Debet. False Doors are an extremely important part of ancient Egyptian funerary practices. False Doors served as ways for the living relatives to make offerings π“Š΅π“π“Šͺ𓏏𓏔𓏦 to the deceased 𓅓𓏏𓏱. The False Door acted as a link between the land of the living and the land of the dead.

False Door of Tjetji and Debet
False Door of Tjetji (left) and Debet (right) with their door jamb (top) at the British Museum.

This Large piece is from the 4th Dynasty reign of the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 Khafre π“‡³π“ˆπ“†‘. Khafre π“‡³π“ˆπ“†‘ is one of the pharaohs 𓉐𓉻𓏦 that built the Great Pyramids at Giza, and Tjetji 𓍿𓍿𓇋 was clearly part of the action! 

The top panel shows Tjetji 𓍿𓍿𓇋 and Debet sitting at an offering table 𓂝𓃀𓅑𓄿𓋃. The hieroglyphs π“ŠΉπ“Œƒπ“ͺ underneath the offering table show that bread 𓏐,  beer π“Š, linen π“‹² and alabaster 𓍱 were offered to them. On either side of the offering table 𓂝𓃀𓅑𓄿𓋃 is a palace-facade, which still shows some signs of red π“‚§π“ˆ™π“‚‹π“…Ÿ and black π“†Žπ“…“ paint 𓇨𓂋𓅱𓏭𓏸𓏦. 

Tjetji 𓍿𓍿𓇋 (left) has the title of β€œKing’s Acquaintance 𓇓𓂋𓐍𓏏.” The title β€œKing’s Acquaintance π“‡“π“‚‹π“π“β€œ is taken to mean that the person was close to the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻! Tjetji 𓍿𓍿𓇋 is also referred to as the β€œOverseer of the Pyramid of Khafre π“…“π“‚‹(π“‡³π“ˆπ“†‘)𓅨𓉴,” so clearly Tjetji 𓍿𓍿𓇋 had a lot going on! This is probably why Tjetji 𓍿𓍿𓇋 and his wife Debet got such a nice burial! 

On the side with Debet (right) their children’s names π“‚‹π“ˆ–π“₯ are all written out! 

Can you spot Khafre’s π“‡³π“ˆπ“†‘ cartouche π“ π“ˆ–π“ˆ™π“· on the relief? It shows up quite a few times!!