TAA i.3.16.3

No.258
     A NICHE cut in the centre of the west wall, facing the head

end of the sarcophagus, 125 cents. above the floor of the Burial-

chamber.

     THE NICHE takes the form of a roughly cut shallow recess, of

rectangular shape, 24 cents. high, 20 cents. wide, and 10 cents.

deep. It was closed by the means of three irregular splinters

of limestone, which were plastered over flush with the surface

of the wall, and then painted over to match the colour decora-

tion of the wall.

     THE NICHE CONTAINED a recumbent figure of the jackal-like

dog Anubis, resting upon a brick (pedestal), <facing north>, and made, like the

brick (pedestal) itself, of unbaked clay. The figure of the

jackal-like dog Anubis was completely swathed with strips of

fine linen varying in width from 2 to 5 cents. - the linen on

the figure was discoloured, while that adhering to the plaster

employed in closing the niche was almost white.

     THE FIGURE OF THE JACKAL-LIKE DOG ANUBIS measures 13.0 cents.

in length from root of tail to tip of fore feet, and 9.5 cents.

high from pedestal to the tips of its ears (= 7 x 5 digits). The

eyes and eye-brows have been tinted with a lemon yellow pigment <(orpiment)>; exuding from the surfaces of both body and limbs are minute glo-

ules of resinous material, suggesting resin or the like was mixed

with the clay; the fore-feet have five toes, the hind-feet four

toes only.

     THE BRICK (pedestal), 14.1 to 14.9 cents. long, 5.3 to 5.6 cents.

wide, and 4.8 to 5.2 cents. thick (= 8 x 3 x 2½ digits), bears no

incantation nor inscription whatsoever! - possibly because the

recumbent figure of Anubis occupied all the available space.

     It rested upon a second brick, of similar dimensions but only

2.7 cents. thick (= 1 ½ digits), and this brick was placed upon a

third thin slab of unbaked clay of somewhat irregular shape and

showing traces of red paint on the bottom surface. The second

brick and third slab of clay were in all probability for the pur-

pose of raising the first brick (pedestal) sufficiently high as

to prevent the long drooping tail of the Anubis figure from touch-

ing the floor of the niche.

     Like the Anubis figure the two bricks and slab of clay shew

traces, minute globules, of a red resinous material exuding from

their surfaces (one of these globules when passed through a

flame gave out a resinous odour).