Ptahmai Family Group

In this group of statues, which has rather a monumental quality about it, the status of the family within the social fabric of Ancient Egypt achieves lasting artistic form. The central figure of Ptahmai is flanked by his wife Hatshepsut, seated on his left, and his daughter on the right. A son and another daughter are shown standing between the three main figures. Ptahmai's former profession as an officer isn't just mentioned in the inscriptions, it's also indicated by the two heavy gold collars he's wearing. These honours would have been presented to him by the pharaoh in recognition of his military achievements. Inscriptions relating to the female figures also mention their professions - one was active in the temple cult, the other had a position at the royal court.

But the real purpose of this group statue isn't to provide a biographical review of successful careers. Instead, the representation focuses on the equality of the sexes, and the cohesion of the family unit. That's what counts in the afterlife - because this statue was meant to stand in the tomb of Ptahmai and his family.