Pair Statue of Nebsen and Nebet-ta
ca. 1400–1352 B.C.E.
1 of 6
Object Label
To express the physical and spiritual bond between two individuals, sculptors devised a form called the pair statue. The most common variety showed the subjects—a husband and wife, a mother and child, or a king and a divinity, for example—seated together on a chair or bench. The earliest documented examples date to the reign of King Djoser in the Third Dynasty (circa 2675–2625 B.C.E.).
This New Kingdom pair statue represents a married couple. The inscription tells us that the man is Nebsen, a scribe in the royal treasury, and the woman is Nebet-ta, a singer in the temple of the goddess Isis. They each pass one arm behind the other, a symbol of closeness. In order to convey this sentiment and to create a harmonious design, the sculptor extended the arms to unnatural lengths.
Caption
Pair Statue of Nebsen and Nebet-ta, ca. 1400–1352 B.C.E.. Limestone, pigment, 15 7/8 x 8 9/16 x 9 1/4 in. (40.4 x 21.8 x 23.5 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund, 40.523. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 40.523_view1_SL1.jpg)
Title
Pair Statue of Nebsen and Nebet-ta
Date
ca. 1400–1352 B.C.E.
Dynasty
Dynasty 18
Period
New Kingdom
Geography
Possible place collected: Sumenu (Dahamsha), Egypt
Medium
Limestone, pigment
Classification
Dimensions
15 7/8 x 8 9/16 x 9 1/4 in. (40.4 x 21.8 x 23.5 cm)
Credit Line
Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund
Accession Number
40.523
Rights
Creative Commons-BY
You may download and use Brooklyn Museum images of this three-dimensional work in accordance with a Creative Commons license. Fair use, as understood under the United States Copyright Act, may also apply. Please include caption information from this page and credit the Brooklyn Museum. If you need a high resolution file, please fill out our online application form (charges apply). For further information about copyright, we recommend resources at the United States Library of Congress, Cornell University, Copyright and Cultural Institutions: Guidelines for U.S. Libraries, Archives, and Museums, and Copyright Watch. For more information about the Museum's rights project, including how rights types are assigned, please see our blog posts on copyright. If you have any information regarding this work and rights to it, please contact copyright@brooklynmuseum.org.
Frequent Art Questions
What is the meaning of this work?
It is a pair statue of Nebsen and Nebet-ta. Nebsen was a scribe of the royal treasury and his wife was the Songstress of Isis, Nebet-ta. The inscription tells us that the statue was made for the couple's tomb by their son, Weserhat.What were some of the tools used to make it?It is a painted limestone piece. The artist would have begun with a large piece of stone and then chiseled and hammered it.What do the hieroglyphs on the clothes mean?
The text running down Nebsen's skirt (the male figure) "invokes offerings on his behalf 'from the table of the lord of the gods,' and identifies him as 'the scribe of the treasury of the lord of two lands, Nb-sn'." The text running down Nebet-ta's skirt "invokes offerings from the table of Mut, lady of Asher', and identifies her as 'the singer of Isis, mother of the god, Nbt-t'."On the back, the inscription says that the statue was made for the couple's tomb by their son, Weserhat. A husband and wife statue such as this would have been placed in the serdab, a hidden chamber in ancient Egyptian tombs. These statues were a place for the "soul to rest" and how food offerings would be given from the statue of the deceased to the soul of the deceased for sustenance in the afterlife.How common were objects such as this in an average household? Was it something only the upper echelons did? Or a practice common across all of the levels of society?
The Pair Statue of Nebsen and Nebet-ta has a sweet story. As with many Ancient Egyptian objects on view in museums, it comes from a tomb rather than a household. A statue like this would belong to anyone who could afford a tomb. People of an upper middle class-type status and above afford tombs with statues. This particular example did belong to a high-ranking couple.What's the story?The couple's original statue actually went missing from their tomb, it may have been stolen, not many years after their death. So the statue that you see in the gallery was commissioned by the couple's son, Weserhat, to replace it and so that his parents would be able to receive offerings properly. What's also interesting is that the clothing and hairstyles seen in this statue have been updated to the time when the statue was made rather than when the couple lived. Weserhat was keeping his parents current!What are the colors the wife is wearing?
In this statue, Nebet-ta's paint colors are blue and golden, to highlight her jewelry. Some paint remains on her face, which indicates make-up. Her clothing was likely supposed to be white.What are the symbols on her skirt? And on her husband's skirt?
The inscription on her skirt is an invocation of offerings from 'the table of Mut, lady of Asher', and identifies her as 'the singer of Isis, mother of the god, Nebet-ta'.Her husband's is an invocation of offerings on his behalf 'from the table of the lord of the gods,' and identifies him as 'the scribe of the treasury of the lord of two lands, Neb-sen'.What does that relate to or mean?The inscriptions identify the individuals by their names and their titles. They also ask for offerings to be donated to the deceased. This statue was designed to stand in the couples' tomb and receive offerings for their souls.What were their wigs made out of?
Ancient Egyptian wigs would have been made from human or animal hair.Were artists trained in Egypt, in the same way scribes were trained?
It would have been a similar process. Artistic skills were often passed down in families, from father to son. Individual artists would have to go through extensive training (as you can guess from the precise and standardized style of art). Art production was organized in workshops and an artist would enter the trade in an apprentice-type role.Tell me more!
This statue of Nebsen and Nebet-ta was originally placed in their tomb. The couple are shown wearing the popular fashions of the time. Their names and professions are inscribed on the statue, which ritually connects the stone object with the deceased couple who, hopefully, had successfully moved on to the afterlife.I just love how the artist portrayed their jewelry. It really brings them to life, so to speak!Yes! I agree!What is this sculpture made from?
This sculpture is carved from limestone that has been painted with mineral pigments.Harmony and closeness beautifully conveyed!
These two figures are Nebsen and Nebet-ta. They were married, a scribe and a songstress respectively. The inscription on the sculpture tells us who they are and that they were made for the couple's tomb by their son, Weserhat. Evidently their son saw their closeness and harmony too! In fact, many couples were depicted in a loving embrace like this one.I wanna know what materials and tools did they use to make this sculpture.
The statue is carved from limestone, a common material in ancient Egypt. The limestone would have been carved with copper chisels and wooden mallets. The surface then would have been smoothed by using sand as an abrasive.What is the purpose of this statue?
This statue was meant for the couple's tomb. It offered their souls a place to rest. The statue would also receive offerings for them. Their son dedicated the sculpture to them at their tomb.So, it was a gift from their son as memory.Sort of. This statue actually replaced an earlier version that had gone missing. Their son was honoring their memory by maintaining their tomb and ensuring that their afterlife was a comfortable one.The text that runs along their skirts shows this even more clearly. It invokes offerings from the son to his parents "from the table of the lord of the gods" and "from the table of Mut, lady of Asher.These represent food offerings or offerings of nourishment to the "ka" and "ba", elements of the deceased's being and soul after death. So not only is the son showing his parent's closeness, he is also providing for them in the afterlife.What is the guy holding on his hand?
Great catch! Nebsen appears to be holding cloth. Scholars are not sure exactly what the object is but some speculate that it might be a piece of linen.It may be symbolic of offerings of linen that were made to a deceased person. Nebsen may be symbolically accepting such an offering.How significant is the writing on the sides and back of this sculpture?
Very! Writing was extremely important and believed to be very powerful in ancient Egypt. The inscription on this statue identifies Nebsen and Nebet-ta by their names and their titles, addresses deities, and includes mention of their son.It's this writing that gives the statue its power. Without it the people would not represent Nebsen and Nebet-ta and would not be able receive offerings for them.What kinds of gifts would be given to the deceased people?
Food and linen were two common types of offerings. The ancient Egyptians believed that the afterlife was just like this life so the deceased need daily necessities and wealthy people, like Nebsen and Nebet-ta would also have been buried with luxury items.In terms of the materials, was limestone the only component used in this piece?
In the statue of Nebsen and Nebet-ta, besides the limestone, the only other component would have been the minerals and binders used to make the paints.Is there any information about what Nebsen could be holding? What about the object tucked in his kilt?
Those are both common questions! What you see tucked in at his waist is part of the way his kilt is tied so that it stays up.The object in his hand is a bit more mysterious. It is not written about on the statue so scholars believe it represents something that would have been common knowledge in ancient Egypt.One theory is that it is a piece of linen that symbolizes the offerings of linen that Nebsen hopes to receive by way of this statue.Thank youWhat is the writing on the back? Do you read the columns left to right or right to left?
The text on this statue is all written in ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs.Egyptian hieroglyphs can be read either right to left or left to right. You can tell which way to read a text because you alway read into the faces of the people and animals. In the case of the back of this statue, the inscription is mirrored, two columns are left to right and three and right to left.What does this bird mean?
That bird stand in for the "m" sound on it's own. It can also mean "in."Interesting!Yes! That's just a basic definition though! Hieroglyphs can stand for sounds, syllables, or whole words!I also love this stork-like bird and the infinity symbol.This bird is a crested ibis and stands for an "akh" sound which is also the word for one of three parts of the soul.The twisted sign is styled after a wick and represents an "h" sound.This sculpture kind of looks like a failed photoshop job.
That's an interesting way to think about it! Scholars use the term "isolation and reassemble" to describe the ancient Egyptian interest in a complete image rather than a realistic one.Here, the idea was to show both members of the couple in full and also to show their love, which explains the very long arms to create an embrace while sitting side by side.It’s still beautiful!!Was Weserhat someone special?
Weserhat, who commissioned this statue for his parents' tomb to replace an earlier version that had gone missing, held the title "scribe in the treasury of Amun," which was a high ranking accounting position in the Egyptian government similar to his father's.Scholars actually have the most information about a grandson of Nebsen and Nebet-ta and a nephew of Weserhat, a man named Sobekmose whose tomb was discovered at Rizeiquat. The hypotheses that this statue may come from nearby Dahamsha and that Nebsen and Nebet-ta lived during the reign of Thutmose III are based on this tomb.There is so much text still legible! Is there a translation of any or all of it available?
On the back of the seat are five columns containing two invocations on behalf of both Nebsen and Nebt-ta. The centre column is common to both invocations. That on the left is addressed to Anubis, and seeks a fine burial and easy movement to and from the after-life for the deceased; that on the right is addressed to Sobk-Re, lord of Sumenu, for a successful coming forth for the living bas of the deceased to enjoy food offerings every day.The text running down Nebsen's skirt invokes offerings on his behalf 'from the table of the lord of the gods,' and identifies him as 'the scribe of the treasury of the lord of two lands, Nb-sn'.The text running down Nebet-ta's skirt invokes offerings from the table of Mut, lady of Asher', and identifies her as 'the singer of Isis, mother of the god, Nbt-t'.The three columns located on the front of the couples' seat give the filiation of Nebsen, son of the scribe of the treasury of Amun. These columns also tell that the piece was dedicated by their son 'the scribe of the treasury of Amun."On the right side of the seat there are six columns that contain an invocation of Amun 'enduring of everything,' on behalf of Nebsen, in which a series of advantages less common than usual is sought: 'a fine memorial in his town, that his ka be nourished daily, his ba be contented with food offerings of his giving, that offerings be made, enduring and established, without destruction, for ever.'Finally, on the left side are five columns that seeks more conventional offerings for Nebt-ta from Mut and Isis.A good source for translation of hieroglyphic inscriptions on object from our collections is: T.G.H. James's, Corpus of Hieroglyphic Inscriptions in the Brooklyn Museum. Brooklyn: The Brooklyn Museum, 1974.Great! Thank you very much.What exactly is ka?
The ka is a part of the soul. The ancient Egyptians believed your soul had three parts, the akh, the ba, and the ka.The ka was the part that required food and drink to survive, it's like a life force.The ba was more like a personality. The akh was the soul that made the journey to the afterlife, passed the judgement and triumphed over death.Why is the hair so high? - Luke, age 7
Hello Luke! Tall hair styles like that, which were created by adding extra fake hair, were very popular at certain times in ancient Egypt. This statue was made when Amunhotep III was king and that was one of the times that people wore very large hairstyles.Simply, the ancient Egyptians thought it looked good!It's very well preserved.
Yes! Egypt's consistently dry climate and the darkness of a tomb help to preserve artwork including paint.The mineral-based pigments can chip off a little over time, but overall they are quite durable.What's the meaning of them putting their hands around each other?
They have their arms around each other to show their love. If you think about where their shoulders are and where their hands are shown, their arms would actually be way too long. Ancient Egyptian sculptors were more interested in communicating an idea (like their loving embrace) than making something that was true to life.What does the hair represent?
The hair shown here represents fashionable styles during the reign of the king Amunhotep III, when this statue was created. Artwork for the tomb always showed the deceased looking their best. Interestingly, this couple lived earlier than the reign of Amunhotep III, but when their son had this replacement statue made for their tomb it included updated styles!What do the lines on his stomach mean?
You may have noticed in other ancient Egyptian sculptures men are shown as young, thin, and strong. Sometimes, especially scribes and other senior officials and shown with these creases in their stomachs to symbolize that they are older and therefore wise.Interesting.What do the black marks on their arms represent?
Those are pieces of jewelry, an example of how these two are shown dressed their best! Their necklaces are also important:The one that Nebet-ta wears is known as a wesekh collar and is tied to ideas of rebirth.Nebsen also wears a wesekh collar and on top of it he wears a "gold of honor" which would have been awarded to him by the pharaoh for outstanding service to the country.Got it!
Have information?
Have information about an artwork? Contact us at