21. Head from a statue of Amenhotep III, from Thebes,

mortuary temple of Amenhotep III, Egyptian, New Kingdom,

18th Dynasty, reign of Amenhotep III (c. 1390-1352 B.C.E.),

c. 1350 B.C.E. Quartzite, height: 117 x 81 x 66 cm.

The British Museum, London.

 

 

This sculpture is part of one of the largest statues in the Thebes funerary temple of Amenhotep after the nearby Colossi of Memnon. The head was originally part of a full length statue of Amenhotep that was placed between two pillars on the west side of the temple court. The height of the statue in its full form was about 7.5-8 meters high and was found during the excavations that took place in 1964. It is likely that in this representation of Amenhotep he held both the crook and the flail—the symbols of Egyptian kingship. He is shown wearing the red crown and is made from a special brown quartzite, both attributes coming from Lower Egypt. The artist most likely used this type of stone for its polished qualities that make certain features stand out. The eyes are more polished than around the lines of the mouth while the beard and the eyebrows remain completely unpolished, which in turn makes them stand out from the face.