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Primary sourceSculpturec. 2600 BCE

Statue of Rahotep and Nofret

Unknown Egyptian sculptor · c. 2600 BCE

A painted double statue of Prince Rahotep, said to be Khufu's half-brother, and his wife Nofret, a masterpiece of early Fourth Dynasty art.

Depicts Rahotep, said to be Khufu's half-brother, giving context to the royal family network around Khufu.

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Vintage black-and-white photograph of two seated painted limestone statues in a museum display case: a dark-skinned male figure on the left with bare chest and white kilt-like garment, and a lighter-colored female figure on the right wearing a long white dress and a broad collar necklace. Hieroglyphic inscriptions appear on the stone backdrop. Caption printed below reads Statues of the Prince Rahotep and the Princess Nofert (IV Dyn.), Cairo Museum.
Statue of Prince Rahotep and Princess Nofret, c. 2600 BCE. Egyptian Museum, Cairo.

About this source

What it is

This painted limestone statue shows Prince Rahotep and his wife Nofret seated side by side. It was made around 2600 BCE by an unknown Egyptian sculptor and was found in their tomb at Meidum. It is now kept in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.

Why it matters

Rahotep is said to have been the son of King Sneferu and half-brother of Khufu, making this statue part of the royal family's visual record. The careful painting and lifelike detail of the figures show the skill of Old Kingdom sculptors and how Egypt's elite wanted to be remembered. It also illustrates the family connections surrounding Khufu's rise to the throne.

Look closer

  • What details of clothing, color, and pose tell you about the status of these two people?
  • Why might a sculptor paint the man's skin differently from the woman's?
  • What does this statue suggest about how Khufu's extended family presented itself?

This sculpture is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Pharaoh Khufu (Cheops) on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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