The limestone funerary stele from the Archaeological Department in Museum of the City of Varaždin is an interesting document from 18th Dynasty. It seems that the owner was an eminent scribe in service of the daughter of Amenhotep III. His name seems to be Mery-Mery (Mry-mry) and he claims to be "Military scribe, of the Lord of two lands" as well as "overseer of craftsmen" and "overseer of domain of the king's daughter Sitamun".

Few monuments are found connected to Mery-Mry. Private stele with his name is kept in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo (Inv. No. 34186), two fragments from the wall (Inv. No. K 49, K 50); fragments of the side walls (Inv. No. A.P. 6); few shabtis and three statuettes are kept in Leyden Museum. One stele of Mery is kept in Museo Archeologico Nazionale in Naples.

The princes ¤At-imn was the famous daughter of the king Amenhotep III. She was born about 1368 BC by the queen Tiy and in literature is sometimes called Sitama, Sitamon or Satamun. There are some indications of a possible conflict between Amenhotep IV (Akhenaton) and Sitamun who as the eldest king's daughter was also a potential inheritress of the throne. This thesis is partly confirmed by the fact that her name was erased in several places in Egypt. That is also the case of her cartouche on the stele in Varaždin. According to the text on the monument we are dealing with, Mery-Mery was an important man in her service.

There are rather small numbers of Egyptian steles kept in museum collections in Croatia, 29 in total. Specimen from the Museum of the City of Varaždin is unique, one of the most beautiful and better-preserved stele that can be found in the museum collections in Croatia.

Description of the stele:

The stele is made in a traditional manner with an oval top. Its face is divided in three registers. On the top, there are two wDAt eyes. Between them there is a Snw sign and usH vessel with nw below it. Below the eyes can be seen jmj-wt on the left and Dd pillar on the right side. The whole image consists of two gods on the left, and the deceased praying to them on the right side. The gods are Osiris and Anubis although the last is named Upuaut. Above Osiris is written his title xntj-jmntj "First among those who are in Amenti" while behind Upuaut there is a title nb tA-Dsr "Master of the holy land". Osiris is holding a stick and flagellum while Upuaut has risen to the left, and anx cross in his right hand. Before the gods there is an offering table with two lotus flowers, as well as two cartouches bearing names of Amenhotep III. While Nebmaatre name is readable the other one with the name Jmn-Htp HkA wAst is scarped. On the right side of the representation Mery-Mery is standing with his hands raised in adoration before the deities. His clothing is typical for New Kingdom period. It consists of short skirt and long transparent garment. He is also wearing a wig and a large collar. The text is placed between the man and the deities and it spreads in three vertical lines from the left to the right.

In the middle register Mery-Mery (standing on the left) is performing invocation offering to his parents’ souls. The parents are sitting on the right at the table full of offerings. The text in five vertical lines (this time it spreads from right to left) is separating the scene in two parts. The parents are sitting on the chairs with lion's legs, and their names are expunged. In two horizontal rows before them it is written "the father" and "the mother", but in the place where the names are expected to be there is a gap. They clothes are similar to the Mery-Mery's. The mother's transparent garment reaches the ground. On their wigs, there are cones of aromatic oil. On woman's cone, there is also the fillet with lotus bud added. The father is holding a lotus flower in his right hand while the mother had placed her right hand on her husband's right shoulder.

In the lower register, a man named Khuy or Hy (¡j) and his families (four persons in total) are bringing offerings to the same two people. Probably Khuy was the surname or the other name of Mery-Mery. Behind Khuy two male and a female are standing in a line bearing different offerings. The first of them has no wig. He holds a cluster of papyrus flowers. He is followed by the second male holding two lotus flowers – one in each hand. He bears a wig. The third feature behind Khuy is a woman who is wearing a long wig and bringing (holding?) a small stool laden with two lotus flowers. She wears a long dress reaching the ground. There is a short inscription in five vertical lines above the offering table in the middle of the scene. Two features representing the parents are shown in the same way as in the middle register.

Transliteration and translation

Upper register:

sS mSaw n nb tAwj n ns Hmw j Xm f jsw m Jnpw ns pr sAt njswt ¤At-Jmn
Military scribe of the Lord Two Lands, the overseer of craftsmen of his majesty in his early age, the overseer of domain of the king's daughter Sitamun,

Mrj-mrj Dd. f. jaw Hr k njswt HH HkA nb Dt nn
Mery-Mery. His words: (I) give adoration before your face, Lord of Eternity, master of everlasting. There is no

kjj Hr xw f Dj. k wnm m dj. Hsjw m Smsw
One like him. You placed me among the favoured (ones), together with followers of

Xm k ra nb
Your Majesty, the Lord, every day.

Middle register:

jr.t Htp dj njswt n kA n tn wab sp sn m tA-wr n tA mAatjw
Making a royal offering to their souls. May (they) be twice purified in Abydos, in the realm of the justified ones.

Ssp. tn snw pr m-bAH DAj. tn r pqr
May you receive offerings before you (and) leave (to) ferry to

Pkr nhm. tn Hft jst f m rdj.t wAH n
Peker. May you rejoice before his tomb in offerings flower-garlands by

mAa-Hrw jn sA tn mrw tn sS mSa n nb tAwj
the justified, your son, your beloved, military scribe of the Lord of Two Lands,

mrj wj nb jmAx
the beloved, blissful lord.

Lower register:

HbHw wab n kA
Pure water for your souls,

tn n Hswj n
for the favoured (ones) of

PtH jn sA tn
Ptah, by your son,

sS mSa
military scribe

¡wj
Khuy.


The limestone funeral stele is very well preserved.
Inscription: hieroglyphics, in three registers, carving.

Acquisition: Originally the collection was in the possession of the noble family Pasthory-Varady in the 19th century. In 1920’s these artefacts came in the possession of the Varaždin City Museum.