Page:A History of Art in Ancient Egypt Vol 2.djvu/201

The Profession of Architect. ^11 names have been preserved to us in hundreds upon their elaborate tombs and inscribed steles. We might, then, amuse ourselves by making out a long list of Egyptian builders, a list which would extend over several thousands of years, from Nefer, of Boulak (Fig. 171 ^), who may have built one of the Pyramids, to the days of the Ptolemies or of the Roman emperors. In the glyptothek at Munich there is a beautiful sepulchral statue of Bakenkhonsou, who was chief prophet of Amen and principal architect of Thebes, in the time of Seti I. and Rameses II. From certain phrases in the inscription, Deveria believes that Bakenkhonsou built the temple of Gournah.- In his epitaph he boasts of the great ottices which he had filled and of the favour which had been shown to him by his sovereign. Every Egyptian museum contains some statue and inscription of the same kind. Brugsch has proved that under the Memphite dynasties the architects to the kinof were sometimes recruited among the princes of the blood royal, and the texts upon their tombs show that they all, or nearly all, married daug-hters ortrrand-dauo-hters of Pharaoh, and that such a marriage was not looked upon as a mesalliaiiee. ^ Similar evidence is forthcoming in connection with the first Theban Empire, but it was chiefly under the three great dynasties that the post of architect to Pharaoh became one of great responsibility, and €:arried with it great influence and authority. Fig. 171. — Limestone statue of the architect Nefer, in the Boulak Museom. DrawTi by Bourgoin. 1 See Notice des Principaux Afonu merits exposes daris -e Miisee de Boulak, 1876, No. 458. - Deveria, Bakenkhonsou {Rei-ue Archlologique, new series, vi. p. loi). 3 Brugsch, History of Egypt (English edition), vol. i. p. 47. Ti, whose splendid tomb has been so often mentioned, was " First Commissioner of Works " for the whole of Egypt, as well as " Secretar}- of State " to Pharaoh. VOL. IT. A A