Metropolitan Museum of Art — Egyptian Art (Open Access) · figurine

Model of the Mastaba Tomb of Perneb

Metropolitan Museum of Art — Egyptian Art (Open Access), acc. 2012.144. Public domain (CC0). Copy archived by egyptianinscriptions.org with attribution; original at the holding institution.

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Accession: 2012.144
Find spot: Saqqara, Memphite Region, Egypt approx. site location
Period: Modern (model); Old Kingdom (original)
Dynasty: Dynasty 5, end
Reign: reign of Isesi–Unis (original)
Date: Model: A.D. 1913–1916; Original ca. 2381–2323 B.C.
Date range: 2381 BCE – 2323 BCE
Materials: ['wood', 'plaster', 'paint']
Repository: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
At source: View original →

Cite & export

Metropolitan Museum of Art — Egyptian Art (Open Access), Model of the Mastaba Tomb of Perneb (2012.144). Egyptian Inscriptions Database. https://egyptianinscriptions.org/object/216458

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Description

Modern (model); Old Kingdom (original), Dynasty 5, end, reign of Isesi–Unis (original), Model: A.D. 1913–1916; Original ca. 2381–2323 B.C. Wood, plaster, paint. H. 38.1 cm (15 in.); W. 121.9 cm (48 in.); D. 99.1 cm (39 in.). Original from: Tomb of Perneb, Saqqara, Memphite Region, Egypt. Subject: Tombs. Credit: Museum Purchase, 1913.

AI image analysis GPT-5.4-nano

Machine-generated from the object's image on Jul 2026. Not curatorial; treat deities, names, and signs below as the model's best reading, not authority.

A museum-made architectural model in the form of a stepped mastaba tomb, shown in three-quarter view with the front/upper section partially open to reveal internal rooms or chambers.

The image depicts a rectangular, stepped mastaba structure with a plain, sand-colored surface resembling plaster or painted coating. The model is built from block-like segments; the top is largely open/removed, exposing a recessed interior made up of lighter, plaster-like partitions forming compartments or a chamber. The base sits on a flat, brown support board. On the right-hand face, there is a small, printed or painted English label-like text (not hieroglyphic). No clearly legible hieroglyphs, royal names/cartouches, or formal inscription blocks are visible in the photographed areas. There are no clearly identifiable deities portrayed. The overall style and material appearance are consistent with a display model rather than an inscribed original tomb block.

modern replica Modern model of an Old Kingdom mastaba (original: Old Kingdom, per catalogue) good

Materials plasterpaintwood (support/board)

Visible text "Text on the right face appears to read “MODEL OF THE MASTABA TOM… (illegible)” (full wording unclear)."

Inscriptions (1)

Inscription #1 AI reading of the photograph

Visible text (machine reading)

Text on the right face appears to read “MODEL OF THE MASTABA TOM… (illegible)” (full wording unclear).

Connections

Found at Saqqara

Materials Paint Plaster

Cross-references (4)

Wikidata-Q Q116247941 tier-1
Collection-QID Q160236 tier-2 (wikidata-mediated)
Inventory-Number 2012.144 tier-2 (wikidata-mediated)
MET-Object 587738 tier-2 (wikidata-mediated)

About this record's data

From the source institution — accession, description, dimensions, and dating are as catalogued by Metropolitan Museum of Art — Egyptian Art (Open Access).
AI-inferred — the image-analysis panel (deities, names, signs) is machine-generated and may be wrong.
Approximate location — most map points are plotted at the site centroid, not the exact findspot.
Inferred links — cross-references marked with a match method other than explicit-source-field were matched by us, not stated by the source.