▁d war fs ▁were ▁at ▁that ▁time . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁ 6 th ▁D ynast y , ▁during ▁the ▁reign ▁of ▁king ▁P ep i ▁II ▁( 2 2 8 4 – 2 1 8 4 ▁BC ), ▁we ▁know ▁of ▁a ▁letter ▁written ▁by ▁the ▁then ▁young ▁king ▁and ▁addressed ▁to ▁his ▁high ▁official ▁and ▁prince ▁H ark h uf ▁who ▁was ▁sent ▁to ▁Ele ph antine ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁ask ▁about ▁the ▁condition ▁and ▁where about s ▁of ▁a ▁" dan cing ▁d war f " ▁( E gypt ian ▁Dan eg ▁i b aw ). ▁H ark h uf ▁was ▁ordered ▁to ▁bring ▁the ▁d war f , ▁which ▁origin ated ▁from ▁the ▁f abled ▁P unt , ▁to ▁the ▁palace ▁of ▁the ▁king ▁health y ▁and ▁un har med , ▁no ▁matter ▁what ▁the ▁cost . ▁The ▁appointed ▁passage ▁includes ▁that ▁the ▁king ▁" des ires ▁to ▁see ▁the ▁d war f ▁even ▁more ▁than ▁to ▁receive ▁the ▁pre cious ▁g ifts ▁from ▁P unt ". ▁The ▁letter ▁also ▁reve als ▁that ▁before ▁this ▁event , ▁already ▁several ▁d war fs ▁were ▁brought ▁from ▁P unt ▁into ▁the ▁royal ▁household . ▁ ▁Family ▁found ing ▁▁ ▁The ▁best - known ▁case ▁of ▁nan ism ▁in ▁ancient ▁Egypt ▁is ▁that ▁of ▁the ▁high ▁official ▁Sen eb , ▁as ▁a ▁fin ely - car ved ▁statue - group ▁of ▁the ▁d war f ▁and ▁his ▁family ▁has ▁surv ived ▁in ▁excellent ▁pres ervation . ▁Sen eb ▁worked ▁during ▁the ▁late