The Mastaba of Ptahhotep

Located at Saqqara, Ptahhotep's mastaba contains walls filled with pictures of basenjis. His love of the breed seems to complement his philosophy about proper decorum. Ptahhotep advises, "Do not boast at your neighbors' side. One has great respect for the silent man." The reserved manner of basenjis would certainly appeal to someone who held a still tongue in such high regard.

Hunting scenes like the ones in Ptahhotep's mastaba were standard decoration in both royal and private tombs. Two reasons account for the popularity of these scenes. First, according to Houlihan, "The thrill of the desert hunt ... developed into a tremendously popular sporting pastime in ancient Egypt, enjoyed by the monarch and members of the privileged classes."

More importantly, however, the hunting scenes provided the dead person with sustenance in his spirit form. Ancient Egyptians believed that the spirits of their dead visited and nourished themselves at the protected site of their carefully prepared mummy. This nourishment came not only from offerings of real food and clothing but also from representations of those things—a carving of a dinner, for example, had the same power to nourish the wandering spirit as a real meal left in the tomb.

"Through the power of picture and word," claims Houlihan, "these artistic works could magically provide the tomb-owner with quantities of fresh game that could be drawn upon forever." Besides the hunting dogs killing game, one finds "the representation of beasts mating, giving birth, ... or suckling their offspring—presumably reproducing to ensure an endless supply of their kind for all time."