EGYPTIAN MASTERPIECES: The statues of Rahotep and Nofret.

When the chamber was re-entered, the excavators found two remarkable statues, those of the tomb owners, Prince Rahotep and Princess Nofret. The eyes of the statues, which reflected the light from the excavator’s torch, are inlaid (the whites of quartz and the pupils of rock crystal).

Prince Rahotep

Both figures are seated on broad, square-cut chairs, with high backrests, which are slightly lower than their heads. The seats are painted white and the flat surfaces on either side of the heads are filled with finely painted black hieroglyphs, giving the names and titles of Rahotep and Nofret. Rahotep is "Son of the king of his body" and "Priest of Ra at Heliopolis, Superintendent of Works and Superintendent of Expeditions". Nofret’s inscription reads "She who knows the King, Nofret" Rahotep wears a plain white kilt and sits with his right arm across his chest. He wears a simple piece of jewellery, a thin chain and a pendant. The face is very realistically sculpted, showing a well-shaped nose and full lips, with a neatly trimmed dark moustache. His hair is closely cut. The eyes are outlined in black. Rahotep is shown in his prime with a well muscled body, painted in the usual dark red-ochre colour for males, indicating that he was active and spent much time in the sun, Nofret is shown wearing a closely fitting white cloak which covers her entire body; the shoulder straps of her dress can be seen beneath. She wears a broad collar with strings of alternating colours, edged with pendant beads.

Nofret wears a heavy dark wig, over her own natural dark hair, which can also be seen. The wig is held in place by a broad band decorated with floral motifs. Her face is full and she also has heavy eye make up. Nofret’s skin colour is the usual yellow ochre, used for female statues. As a high-ranking lady she would have avoided the sun as much as possible.

Princess Nofret

Both statues are now in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo and remain two of the most important pieces of sculpture in the museum and certainly ones which perhaps have the greatest impact on visitors.

Their faces are realistically modelled and are clearly recognisable people; in fact, if you look at modern Egyptians, you can see men with similar shaped faces, short hair and a neat moustache and young women with round, plump faces, olive coloured skin and heavy dark hair.

The inlaid eyes still fascinate, and the tour guides in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo shine their torches into them to reflect the light as they tell the story of their discovery.

The unseeing eyes of Rahotep and Nofret seem to look through and past the visitors, fixed firmly on eternity, which was, after all, the whole idea.