Mehu

Located in the Wenis cemetery, Mehu s mastaba was used by three individuals of the same family,Mehu, Meryreankh and Hotepka. With its well preserved decoration and with the variety andfrequently original themes depicted on its walls, the mastaba may be considered as one of the mostimportant tombs of the Old Kingdom. The owner probably had royal blood and was also married to adaughter of a king, possibly Wenis. He held the vizierate under Wenis, Teti and early under Pepy I,and accordingly during Weserkare s reign. The architecture of Mehu s mastaba seems to have beeninspired by those of Ti and Ptahhotep I, and all three influenced other mastabas, such as that ofMereruka. The artists of Mehu s chapel were very competent and paid special attention to details, butthose of Meryreankh and Hotepka, were generally less capable. Similarities between Mehu s scenesand those of Mereruka are evident in the flute players amongst the harvesters, the attendantscatching Egyptian mongooses by the tail in the fowling scenes, and the sleeping/preparation to sleepduring the pilgrimage trips. Comparison with other tombs shows similarities, for example in themating crocodiles (Mehu, Kagemni and Hesi), the crocodiles swallowing fish headfirst (Khnumenti atGiza and Mehu, Kagemni and Mereri at Saqqara) and the high-kicking dance (Mehu, Kagemni,Ankhmahor, and Merefnebef). However, the aggressive scenes found for instance in Mereruka schapel are missing in that of Mehu, which may reflect his personality

Aesthetics · Art · Visual arts · Ancient Egypt and Archaeology · History

• Die Wanddarstellungen im Grab des Mehu in Saqqara

  Nigel Strudwick, HARTWIG ALTENMÜLLER•The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology•2002

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