Qar and Idu Hunting

Painted limestone. Old Kingdom, Dynasty 6, reign of Pepi I or later, 2332-2283 B.C. From Fiza, Tomb or Qar. The official Qar lifts a throwstick to hunt ducks; behind him stands the scribe Idu, who was probably his son. He holds Qar’s catch. Hunting wild animals in the desert and the marshes was a popular pastime for the elite. As well as providing food, pest control, and sport, it also had a deeper dimension. Depictions of hunting in tombs were seen as metaphors for the dead person’s successful conquest of chaotic spirits and his entry into the afterlife.