Seneb - Role and Position

Role and Position

Seneb's name means "healthy" – perhaps given by his mother as a wish for survival when he was a baby. Many Egyptians possessed similar names, not to denote an absence of disease but to convey a positive message of healthiness and vigour.

Dwarfism was not seen as a defect in ancient Egypt, unlike in many other cultures. Egyptian texts advised the acceptance of those with physical or mental disabilities, and there were even two dwarf gods, Bes and Ptah. A number of dwarfs gained prestigious roles and were given lavish burials in proximity to their royal masters. Seneb's career is documented on his false door and the plinths of his statues, which record twenty titles including "beloved of the lord ", "overseer of weaving in the palace", "overseer of dwarfs" (presumably indicating that there were others in the palace), "overseer of the crew of the ks ship" (referring to a ceremonial or cult boat), "overseer of the jwḥw", (possibly referring to animal-tenders) and "keeper of the God's seal of the Wn-ḥr-b3w boat" (referring to a papyrus bark used in certain festivals). His titles suggest that he may have started his career as an official in charge of royal linen and possibly also pets, a role in which other dwarfs are known to have served, and subsequently gained higher-ranking posts in charge of royal or cult boats. Alternatively he may have been born into a high-ranking family and was given roles appropriate to his birth rank. Seneb also carried out religious rites in his dual role as a priest. He was titled "Priest of Wadjet", priest of "the large bull which is at the head of Sṯpt" and of the bull Mrḥw. He participated in the funeral services for the Pharaohs Khufu, the builder of the Great Pyramid, and his successor Djedefre (Radjedef). His wife Senetites, a woman of normal stature, was likewise a priestess, serving the goddesses Hathor and Neith.

Seneb's tomb reliefs and the false door of his tomb indicate his wealth and power. Seneb is described as the owner of several thousand cattle and is shown in various scenes of domestic life – being carried in a litter, sailing in a boat in the Nile Delta, or receiving his children. The false door shows Seneb carrying out the standard activities of a high-ranking courtier such as inspecting his linen and cattle, receiving accounts and overseeing his retainers. He is shown wearing kilts and a priestly robe made of panther skin, and carrying symbols of his office such as a sceptre and staff. One relief shows him accompanied by two pet dogs, each captioned with a name. He is depicted using what were evidently custom-made items of furniture, such as low stools and a specially adapted litter with a low back and large side-panels to conceal his legs.

As with the sculpture, Seneb's size required the creator of the reliefs to make some unusual artistic choices. The standard convention of depicting higher status through physical size was maintained by portraying Seneb as being larger than his retainers, though this was clearly the opposite of the situation that actually existed. On the other hand, he is still shown with the physical characteristics of a dwarf. Unusually for such a relief, his wife is not pictured alongside him but appears separately. This may have been done to avoid the complications that would have arisen from needing to depict the couple's relative sizes realistically while still portraying Seneb as the larger party, as convention would have dictated. Seneb is also not shown carrying out typical male activities such as hunting, which was presumably impractical for someone of his stature, though one relief shows him pulling on papyrus reeds to guide his boat through the marshes of the Nile Delta.