Muleteers

myminifactory

The well-preserved mastaba of Ti stands proudly at the northern edge of the Saqqara necropolis, situated approximately 300m north of the ‘Philosopher’s Circle’. As a high-status official during Dynasty V, Ti held esteemed titles including ‘Overseer of the Pyramids of Niuserre’, and ‘Overseer of the Sun-Temples of Sahure, Neferirkare and Niuserre’. The tomb was discovered by Auguste Mariette in 1865 and meticulously restored and reconstructed by the Egyptian Antiquities Department to become one of the most beautifully decorated Old Kingdom mastabas in the necropolis. The tomb boasts superb reliefs and an intriguing variety of subjects, making it a true masterpiece. Who is depicted? The tomb belongs to Ti, located in Saqqara during the Old Kingdom period. Technical/Specification about the statue Relief is a sculptural technique where elements remain attached to a solid background material. This term originates from the Latin verb relevo, meaning to raise. Creating a sculpture in relief gives the impression that the raised elements have been lifted above the background plane. When carving a relief from stone or wood, the field is actually lowered, leaving the unsculpted parts appearing raised. This technique involves extensive chiselling away of the background, a time-consuming process. On the other hand, reliefs save forming the rear of subjects and are less fragile and securely fixed than sculptures in the round. Degrees of Relief Relief techniques vary depending on the degree of projection from the field. The range includes high relief (alto-rilievo), mid-relief (mezzo-rilievo), low relief (basso-rilievo or bas-relief), shallow-relief, and sunk relief. High relief features more than 50% depth with undercut areas, while low relief is characterized by a plane only slightly lower than the sculpted elements. The distinction between high relief and low relief is the most important, and these two terms are generally used to discuss most work. More about the artist Ti held significant titles during Dynasty V, including ‘Overseer of the Pyramids of Niuserre’, and ‘Overseer of the Sun-Temples of Sahure, Neferirkare and Niuserre’.