Penseru Cavern Sculpture in Mastaba

Penseru Cavern 

Sculpture in Mastaba

This statue is an ancient Egyptian-style limestone carving It is believed to be a "pseudo-group" a collection of sculptures within a niche containing multiple effigies of the same person depicted more than once within a single sculpture. The effigy of Penmeru along with his wife and children was discovered by George Andrew Reisner's expedition in 1912 from Mastaba G 2197 in the Necropolis of Giza Egypt. The statue is now housed and displayed at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston Massachusetts USA. The "pseudo-group" of Penmeru dating back to the early 20th century is a high-relief sculpture within a niche Penmeru is buried in a bizarre mastaba partly because of the multiple effigies within. 

 

The Serdab is a secret chamber within the tomb of Penmeru located in tomb number G 2197 in the Western Necropolis of Giza Egypt. Discovery This Serdab was discovered and cleaned on April 12 .1912 revealing a set of replica statues of Penmeru and his family inside the tomb was built during the late reign of King Djedkare or the early reign of Unis during the 5th Dynasty of the Old Kingdom. Serdabs were constructed to preserve highly detailed works of art and statues retaining traces of their original colors and showcasing the craftsmanship of the artisans. It is believed to be the dwelling place of the spirit Ka

The group of replica statues of Penmeru are ancient Egyptian bas-reliefs on limestone painted from the Old Kingdom, 5th Dynasty c. 2,465–2,323 BC, originating from Giza. / photo credit : dianabuja

The "pseudo-group" is believed to date back to the 5th Dynasty of the Old Kingdom of ancient Egypt over 4,400 years old and is carved from painted stone. It is called a "pseudo-group" because it depicts the same person more than once within a single sculpture the central figure is Penmeru and the figure on the left is also Penmeru this multiple depiction of the same person in a tomb carved from painted limestone is a common occurrence this image depicts two figures of Penmeru with his wife Meretite and their children from the 5th Dynasty of the Old Kingdom of Egypt. Pyramidal sculptures are characterized by two or more identical statues representing the same person which can be separated without damage.

The flourishing period of the Old Kingdom saw the construction of prominent sun temples a focus on the worship of the god Ra increased trade and the construction of beautiful pyramids. The importance of kings declined compared to the 4th Dynasty with smaller pyramids built but a greater emphasis on sun temples obelisks and the first appearance of Pyramid Texts. The use of limestone and granite became more elaborate and Pyramid Texts appeared within the pyramid of Pharaoh Unas. Trade relations expanded to the territories of Punt and Byblos. The 5th Dynasty ended with the decline of the pharaohs' power and the increase in the power of local nobles.