The carved ivory hairpin cataloged as JE 46407 was found in Tomb G 8978 in the Central Field at Giza, a burial context associated with Queen Khamerernebty II. The pin is topped by a carefully carved human head with a patterned wig and pierced ear.
Key Facts
- Object: Ivory hairpin with human head.
- Inventory: JE 46407.
- Period: 4th Dynasty context.
- Provenance: Tomb G 8978, Central Field, Giza.
- Association: Burial context of Queen Khamerernebty II.
- Material: Ivory.
- Important caution: The findspot is secure, but personal ownership by Khamerernebty II is not proven.
What the Hairpin Shows
The upper portion is carved as a human head. The patterned wig, modeled facial features, and pierced ear turn a small personal object into a miniature piece of figural sculpture. Its scale makes it easy to overlook in a museum display, but the workmanship preserves unusually intimate evidence of elite material culture.
The Giza Context
Tomb G 8978 lies in Giza’s Central Field, an elite cemetery south and east of the Great Pyramid complex. The burial is associated with Queen Khamerernebty II, a royal woman of the 4th Dynasty. That archaeological context is significant even though it does not prove that every object from the tomb was personally owned or worn by the queen.
Association Is Not Ownership
Small museum objects are often described too confidently when a famous royal name is connected to their findspot. Here the careful formulation is that JE 46407 comes from the tomb context associated with Khamerernebty II. Without stronger evidence, it should not simply be labeled “the hairpin of Queen Khamerernebty II.”
Identification Standard
The inventory number, material, visible carved features, G 8978 findspot, Central Field location, and 4th Dynasty context are treated as secure. The relationship to Khamerernebty II is expressed as an archaeological association rather than certain personal ownership.
See also the Egypt Museum Artifact Index.