Statue of the Nurse Sitsnefru

In the pictureA woman carved from black stone sits with her legs together. A long wig falling to her chest frames both sides of her face, and she is wrapped in a cloak with one hand laid on her chest. Hieroglyphs are carved on the skirt, and traces of white paint remain around the eyes. It is 39 cm tall.

BackgroundThe inscription calls her "the nurse Sitsnefru." In Egypt, nurses who raised the children of kings or nobles enjoyed considerable status and could set up statues in their own names. Seated statues of women are fewer than those of men, so this one is also valuable as evidence of Middle Kingdom women's dress and wig styles. Black stones such as gabbro or diabase were hard to work, so the material itself was a sign of wealth.

Puzzle tipWith only the black statue and a gray background, the outline pieces are the key. The vertical texture of the wig, the face and the inscribed pieces of the skirt are clues, and the smooth pieces of the cloak can be told apart by the brightness where light falls on the shoulders and knees. The photo is tall and narrow, so Normal (about 48 pieces) is a good fit.