Emily Teeter, Ancient Egypt: Treasures from the Collection of the Oriental Institute,University of ChicagoAncient Egypt: Treasures from the Collection of the Oriental Institute, University ofChicago by Emily  TeeterReview by: (Lana TroyJournal of Near Eastern Studies, Vol. 66, No. 2 (April 2007), pp. 125-126Published by: The University of Chicago PressStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1086/519033 .Accessed: 03/06/2012 06:14

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BOOK REVIEWS*

* Permission to reprint a book review in this sectionmay be obtained only from the author.

Ancient Egypt: Treasures from the Collection ofthe Oriental Institute, University of Chicago.By Emily Teeter. Oriental Institute MuseumPublications, vol. 23. Chicago: The Oriental In-stitute, 2003. Pp. xiv + 146 + 108 figs. $22.95.The Egyptian collection of the Oriental Insti-

tute, housed in the newly renovated and enlargedmuseum, with over 25,000 accessions, is not aswell known as it should be by either the publicor professional Egyptologists. As a first step incorrecting this situation, this volume, the first ina planned series, describes 62 pieces from theEgyptian collection.

The text opens with a brief description of thehistory of the collection, one in which James H.Breasted played a central role. Excerpts from Mrs.Breasted’s diary, recording their honeymoon tripon the Nile (she reading, he copying inscriptions),adds an intimate tone to the collection’s history.This section is illustrated with photographic docu-mentation, beginning with a view of Breasted’sexhibit of 1896 and ending with a color phototaken in 1999 of the Joseph and Mary GrimshawGallery.

The objects presented in this work have beenselected by Teeter, who describes their choice asa personal one in which cultural significance hasbeen given priority over aesthetics. The diversityof the selection is also intended to mirror that ofthe collection.

The objects are presented chronologically, infive sections, beginning with 11 objects dated tothe Early Dynastic period and the Old Kingdom.The work opens with a faience votive plaquefrom Petrie’s excavation of the temple of Khenti-amenti at Abydos. Here the standard form ofpresentation is established with a photo and, tothe side in smaller print, a descriptive label, fol-lowed by a period dating, also given in terms of

absolute years. Information concerning materialis followed by measurements, both in inches andcentimeters. Finally, the inventory number is pro-vided. A text accompanies each object, describ-ing it and giving additional information. In thecase of the votive plaque, for example, the con-text in which it was found is described. Finally,in a very small type, there is a translation of thetext found on the object. Additional informationis found in the appendixes. Provenance and alimited accessions history for each object arefound in Appendix 2. A bibliography, coveringprevious publications of the objects, is providedin Appendix 3.

The objects presented in this volume includesome pleasant surprises, ranging from the pleas-ing simplicity of the Fourth Dynasty false doorof Ny-su-redi (OIM 10825, no. 4) to the bronzebrick stamp, complete with a handle, dated moregenerally to the period of the New Kingdom andThird Intermediate period (OIM 11171, no. 39).

An experience often occurring with publica-tions of this type is the encounter with objectscited without distinct reference to their presentlocation. The First Intermediate period stela ofUha and his wife Henut-sen (OIM 16956, no. 12),for example, has a short text always used whendiscussing circumcision. “When I was circum-cised along with 120 men, there was none whomI struck, and none who struck me, there was nonewhom I scratched and none who scratched me.”Being able to see the stela on which it is foundadds to an appreciation of this historical source.

This selection of objects also includes thosethat challenge our expectations with regard tostyle as well as subject matter. The stela ofNakht, dated to the early Eighteenth Dynasty(OIM 10510, no. 16), shows an elegantly dressedman holding a brazier and on it a (roast?) fowl.The god who receives this offering is Seth-Antewy, a mixed form of Horus and Seth,although depicted here in the easily recog-nizable guise of Seth. The text identifies this

Journal of Near Eastern Studies126 Vol. 66 No. 2

god as the Lord of Tjebu, the modern Qau el-Kebir, some 25 miles south of Asiut. The stan-dard offering formula is directed to Seth and toMut of Megeb, and indeed Nakht is an official ofthe estate of Mut. The occurrence of this pair ofgods, with this date, combined with the refine-ment of the low relief of the representation andthe sunken relief of the text, emphasizes the im-portance of remaining aware of the diversity ofthe material upon which we base our under-standing of historical, art-historical, and religiousphenomena.

This presentation also illustrates an aspect ofthe study of ancient literate cultures that tends tobe forgotten. Texts, even those found on papyri,have an existence as artifacts worthy of display.The Demotic “Marriage” Papyrus, dated to theThirteenth Dynasty (OIM 17481, no. 46), cer-tainly exemplifies this. This document can becompared with the modern prenuptial agreementin that its function is to protect the dispositionof the property of a spouse in case of death ordivorce. At 230 cm in length (97 inches), it wouldalso appear that “lawyers” then were as busy aslawyers now.

The short discussion of a small number of theobjects included in this volume of the OrientalInstitute Museum treasures series reflects thediversity found therein. It also says a great dealabout the quality of Teeter’s chosen form of pre-sentation. Those of us who work with museumobjects as raw research material know how oftenit is that written descriptions, in an effort to bepopularly accessible, condensed, or inexpensive,fall short with regard to the needs of the re-searcher. Teeter has produced an attractive, well-written book, while remaining aware of its role asa research tool. It is to be hoped that the comingvolumes in this series will maintain the samegoals and standards, particularly now that we havebeen given such an enjoyable first look at therichness of the Oriental Institute’s collections.

Lana Troy

Uppsala University

Temple of Khonsu. Vol. 3. The Graffiti on theKhonsu Temple Roof at Karnak: A Manifes-tation of Personal Piety. By Helen Jacquet-

Gordon. Oriental Institute Publications,vol. 123. Chicago: The Oriental Institute,2003. Pp. xxiv + 120 + 5 figs. 126 pls. $180.The appearance of this volume as a contin-

uation of the Epigraphic Survey’s publication ofthe Khonsu temple precinct is the culminationof a long-term project Helen Jacquet-Gordonhas conducted over the past four decades. Thishandsome volume is organized relatively simplywith a short discussion of the nature of thegraffiti, followed by a catalogue of 324 graffitigiven with partial or complete drawings. Thissection ends with several indexes: general, dates,deities, royal names, personal names, and titles.This is followed by the photographic plates, whichcontain both photographs of the graffiti and fulldrawings juxtaposed.

The existence of numerous graffiti on theroof of Khonsu temple has been known formany years, and Jacquet-Gordon is to be con-gratulated for her perseverance in documentingthem for us. For those who work on the recordingof ancient graffiti, the task is often very difficultbecause these types of inscriptions are not alwaysdone in a formal manner. In certain circumstancesthe location of the graffiti, such as the Khonsutemple roof, have exposed these inscriptions togreater environmental degradation. The simple actof recording these texts often requires multiplevisits to utilize adequate light just to be able torecognize them, let alone record them.

As a student of Demotic graffiti, I have visitedthe Khonsu temple roof in expectation of find-ing numerous Demotic graffiti.1 While I was dis-appointed in the paucity of Demotic texts, theimmense number of other graffiti easily overrodemy initial disappointment. The sheer number ofexamples of foot graffiti, sometimes known as“pilgrim’s feet,” helps explain the subtitle of

One Line Short

1 As noted by W. Spiegelberg, Demotika II (Munich,1928), p. 13 and A. Farid, Fünf demotische Stelen(Berlin, 1995), p. 205, no. 33. Jacquet-Gordon does notinclude these references in her bibliography.