Nefermaat

Nefermaat was the vizier of the Egyptian king Sneferu ( 4th dynasty ). He was perhaps also his son.

Family

Nefermaat was married to a woman named Itet. The couple had a son named under which Hemiunu really stands fifteen known children. Under Sneferu's successor Khufu, he held high offices and was probably responsible for the construction of the Great Pyramid of Cheops. The remaining children Nefermaats are known only through representations in the grave. There are three daughters named Djefatsen, Isesu and Pageti and eleven other sons called Isu, Teta, Itisen, Chentimeresch, Inkaef, Serfka, Wehemka, Schepseska, Kachent, Ancherscheretef and Ancherfenedjef.

Activity

Nefermaat is known primarily from its large mastaba in Meidum, in which he was buried with his wife Itet. Nefermaat also introduced the title of " superintendent of all royal works " and thus was probably builder of Meidum pyramid.

The two cult rooms of the Mastaba have gained particular notoriety through the technique of their decoration. A large part of the inscriptions and illustrations are cut into the rock and then are filled with a color paste. Nefermaat commented even in his grave to this technique: " He made his mastaba in this indestructible font ".

The " Geese of Meidum "

Part of the cult area of ​​Itet has been painted, from here comes the famous " Meidum Geese ". This is a 162 cm long and 24 cm high fragment of painted stucco, which is today in Cairo 's Egyptian Museum. It shows six geese, which are arranged in two spaced groups wegblickenden. The outer two animals are bean geese (Anser fabalis ), the pair on the left shows white-fronted geese (Anser albifrons ) and on the right Red-breasted goose (Branta ruficollis ). The special feature of this painting is not only their very precise reproduction of the birds but also their uniqueness throughout ancient Egypt. While representations of white-fronted geese also found in some other places, representations of seeds and Rothalsgänsen only from this grave are known.