Ramose was the father and Hatnofer the mother of Senenmut, one of the most important state officials under the reign of the Egyptian queen Hatshepsut in the Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt. The commoner origins of Ramose and the rise of his son Senenmut were long considered to be prime examples of high social mobility in New Kingdom Egypt. For instance, almost nothing is known of Ramose's origins, but he seems to have been a man of modest means—anything from a tenant peasant or farmer, to an artisan or even a small landowner. When Ramose died he was a man aged 50–60. Hatnofer was an elderly lady, with grey or even white hair. They are believed to have been born at Armant, a town only ten miles (16 km) south of Thebes within Upper Egypt presumably during the reign of Ahmose I, the founder of Egypt's illustrious 18th dynasty.
Ramose (left), Senenmut (middle) and Hatnofer on the false door of Senenmut
Chair from Ramose and Hatnofer's tomb
The Heart Scarab of Hatnefer, on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art
Hatnofer's gold gilded funerary mask (Metropolitan Museum of Art)
Senenmut was an 18th Dynasty ancient Egyptian architect and government official. His name translates literally as "mother's brother."
Stone inscribed with the name of Senenmut, from Thebes, Egypt. Neues Museum, Berlin
The Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut
TT 353 - a hypogeum commissioned by Senenmut, 97m long and 41m deep
Plan of tomb TT353