SOUTHERN WALL AND ENTRY

The image opposite shows the narrowness of the street which separates this mastaba (on the right) from that of Kagemni. The view is taken looking towards the west. Immediately before it, in a very poor state, is the remains of the mastaba of Shepsipuptah, with the much better facade of Nikauisesi's just beyond it.

The entrance to the tomb is towards the eastern (near) end of the south wall. On either side of the doorway, the facade has been smoothed, on the east for a width of 1.24m and on the west for a width of 0.95m, with both sides above an area of less than a metre. These smoothed areas were thinly plastered with gypsum and decorated in relief, which is also true for the doorway thicknesses. The entrance measures 0.75m wide by 0.86m long at the floor and 0.72m at ceiling height. Externally, the upper part of the entrance, above a height of 2.00m, is of a modern construction, but the original door height of 2.55m can be determined by an internal ceiling block of the doorway (see image left) and its internal recess.
Internally, the entrance has a recess of 1.12m wide, 2.7m high and 0.23m long. This recess still retains details of fittings for a door used to secure the tomb.
A cavity, which was cut into the ceiling of the recess, at the western end, almost certainly was intended as a pivot hole. Bolt holes have been cut into both side walls of the recess at a height of 1.22m. There is no evidence of a pivot hole in the floor which has now been plastered to install a modern door to secure the tomb.

THE FACADE

The figures and inscriptions on the facade are executed in sunken relief, exhibiting good modelling and details.

On either side of the entrance doorway the tomb owner is depicted in large size wearing a shoulder-length wig which covers his ears, a beard, an elaborate broad collar, a long necklace with an amulet and bracelets on his wrists. Strangely, his knee-length kilt is horizontally pleated and has three panels, on his feet he wears sandals. He holds a sceptre in one hand and a staff in the other. The image to the right of the door has a strange anomaly, the sceptre passes behind his kilt, yet he holds it with his left hand (which should be closest to the viewer). This is due to a strange ancient Egyptian perspective, indicating that in both cases he is holding the sekhem sceptre of power in his right hand, and long cane of office in his left.
In each case a small figure of his bearded son stands before him, dressed in similar wig, broad collar and kilt. On the west side the son wears bracelets on his wrists, but in both cases he is bare-footed.

See also the line drawings: and . See also an .

Any text relating directly to the deceased, and giving any titles, would have been placed above him, in horizontal lines, as is the case in other mastabas where enough height has been preserved.
Above the son on the east side is written: "His eldest son, his beloved, the sole companion, Nikauisesi, the elder". On the west side he is named: "Nikauisesi, the black, the elder".
On each side, a single column of text is inscribed in front of the two figures. These are messages to all who enter. The one on the west side reads: "…[As for all people] who [will enter] into this tomb and have not purified themselves as (they) should purify (themselves) for a god, I will deliver to them more punishment than (their) great wrong doing". The text on the east side reads: "But as for any ka-servant of my estate who recites invocation offerings for me and purifies (himself) for me, he will be confident, on account of it, that I will support him in the necropolis and in every council".

THE ENTRANCE

The decoration on the entrance thicknesses are in raised relief, but like the facade they remained without colour.

See also the line drawings: and .
See also an .

On both thickness of the main entry to the complex, the tomb owner faces outwards. He is represented as a mature man, indicated by his pendulous breasts, although less than in some other internal scenes, but certainly more than on the facade. Nikauisesi is shown with his nearest shoulder forward facing and shortened, giving it a strange appearance. He wears a long, projecting kilt and sandals. He holds the front overlapping edge of the kilt between the thumb and fingers. Strangely his thumb, which should be on the inside, is visible. With his other hand he again holds his long staff. As on the facade, he again wears a broad collar and sandals, but this time he has a short wig with curls, depicted as small circles.
In front of him again stands a small scale male figure wearing a shoulder-length wig, a collar and a projecting kilt, but again no sandals and in neither image does he have wrist bracelets. In both cases he is designated as "His eldest son, his beloved, the sole companion". The name on the east thickness reads: "Nikauisesi, the elder", whilst on the west thickness it reads: "Nikauteti, the black, the elder". It is almost certain the two names belong to the same son (as mentioned previously on page 1).

Above the tomb owner's figures are seven vertical columns and one horizontal lines of hieroglyphic text, which appear to be identical on both thicknesses. Those of the west thickness are more complete, although even here the first two columns have been lost. The text reads: "… | | the embalmer of Anubis, the… of Anubis, the sole companion, | the chief of the great ones, the overseer of the two houses of gold, | the honoured one before the great god, lord of heaven, | the honoured one before Osiris, | the honoured one before Anubis, who is on his hill, | the hereditary prince, the count, the treasurer of the king of Lower Egypt, the sole companion, Nikauisesi".