Colossal Seated Statue of a Pharaoh

During the Middle Kingdom (ca. 2030–1650 B.C.) colossal statues proliferated in ancient Egypt. Often created as pairs to flank the entrances to temples, or important sections of them, they served as guardians, presenting relatively accessible images of the ruler to his people.

This colossus (fig. 1 in the "Additional Images" above) has been recently identified by style as a representation of King Amenemhat II (ca. 1919–1885 B.C.), although an earlier identification as Senwosret II (ca. 1987–1878 B.C.) cannot be completely excluded because of the scarcity of inscribed images of that ruler. Not much is known about Amenemhat II’s long reign, which seems to have been mainly peaceful, despite preserved annals that report the taking of 1500 prisoners during a campaign in the Levant. Senwosret II reigned less than a decade. The placement of his pyramid complex at the entrance to the Fayum Depression seems to indicate his particular interest in developing this fertile area for agriculture.

The king is represented wearing the royal headcloth (nemes) and a partly pleated kilt that is fastened by a girdle around his waist. In his right fist – now missing – he held a piece of cloth, an accouterment of upper class Egyptians, while the left hand lies flat on his thigh. His athletic body has broad shoulders, muscular arms, and powerful knees. With the breast proudly lifted and the abdominal musculature contracted, this ancient ruler seems to be inhaling: he is clearly ready to burst into action.

During the nearly four thousand years of its existence the colossus has been transported to different locations as well as reinscribed and modified to serve as an image of several later pharaohs, including the Dynasty 19 rulers Ramesses II and Merneptah. The following text and images explain details of this history by discussing the inscriptions and changes that were made over the millennia. Let’s start with the elaborate inscriptions on the back of the statue.



Description

Back of the Throne

The Statue Reused as an Image of Ramesses II (ca. 1279–1213 B.C.)

The carvings now dominating the back of the statue (fig. 2) were created more than 600 years after the sculpture was first carved, when Ramesses II adopted this colossus of a Middle Kingdom pharaoh and transformed it into an image of himself.

Ramesses II (fig. 3), third ruler of the Dynasty 19, is famous for the battle of Qadesh (at the border between modern-day Lebanon and Syria), which he fought against the Hittites of Anatolia (modern Turkey) in ca. 1274 B.C. The peace treaty that was eventually negotiated between the two countries is the first in human history whose texts were published by each side. A copy is exhibited at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.

The Inscriptions of Ramesses II

The texts are superb examples of the skill of Ramesses II’s artists in designing and executing monumental inscriptions. Both center columns read from right to left, with the animal hieroglyphs facing to the right, while the four shorter columns flanking them face towards the center, thus enveloping an elaborate list of the king’s names.

Text Columns in the Center

In the center, two long text columns proclaim the same three of the five official names of Ramesses II. Two versions of his so-called Horus name, designating him as the incarnation of the sky and kingship god Horus, translate: "Mighty bull beloved of Maat (goddess of right order and justice)" on the right and "Mighty bull beloved of Re (the sun god)" on the left. Below the Horus name in both columns Ramesses II’s throne name, bestowed during the coronation, designates him as king of Upper and Lower Egypt: "Powerful is the Maat of Re, chosen of Re." His birth name, inscribed twice at the bottom, is "Ramessu (Re has born him), beloved of Amun." Note that inside the lowermost cartouches the names of the gods Re and Amun face each other, although one belongs to the name Ramessu and the other is the god of whom Ramesses II is said to be "beloved." The arrangement avoids putting one god’s image behind the other.



The texts on either side of the center repeat the birth name of the king and add two of his main ritual functions: "Lord of appearances (i.e. the crowns)" on the right and "Lord of rituals" on the left.

Outermost Text Columns

The two outermost text columns proclaim the king as "beloved" of two important gods. On the right the texts mention the supreme solar deity Re in his aspects as the morning god Harakhty and the evening deity Atum, calling him "Lord of the Two Lands and [of the sacred city] of Heliopolis." On the left the inscription is dedicated to Ptah, "Great of strength, king of the Two Lands (i.e. Lord of the capital city Memphis)."


Proper Left Side of the Throne

Remains of the Original Middle Kingdom Carvings

The decoration on the proper left side of the king’s throne mostly dates from the time Ramesses II adopted the statue. Traces of an earlier glyph remains only as a shallow outline to the left of the ankh sign (a cross-shaped sign with a looped top) in the bottom line of the Ramesside text (fig. 4).

From the shape and position of the shallow earlier traces, it appears that the original Middle Kingdom throne decoration contained the symbol for uniting the Two Lands closer to the back of the throne, not in the center of the design as in the Ramesside version we see now. This symbol, called the sema tawi in ancient Egyptian, consists of the picture of a lung and esophagus, the hieroglyph for "to unite," around which are tied the lily and papyrus, the heraldic plants of Upper and Lower Egypt. A drawing of a similar Middle Kingdom statue shows how this part of the decoration must have originally appeared (fig. 5). The whole image on the side of the throne — the surrounding decorative border and smaller rectangle at the lower back corner that also has a border — suggests the hieroglyph for "enclosed area," or "temple" (hut) in ancient Egyptian, emphasizing the idea that the statue belongs to a built sanctuary.

Inscriptions of Ramesses II (ca. 1279–1213 B.C.)

The inscriptions now dominating the proper left side of the throne (fig. 6) were carved for King Ramesses II when he adopted the statue and transformed it into an image of himself. In the center the "birth" and "throne" names of the king are placed above the symbol for uniting the Two Lands (sema tawi). The text columns on either side each proclaim the Horus name of Ramesses II and state that he is "beloved of Maat (goddess of right order and justice)" on the right and "beloved of Re (the sun god)" on the left. All hieroglyphs face outwards from the center of the design, thus connecting with and serving as bridge between the inscriptions on the front and back of the statue.


Proper Right Side of the Throne

Inscriptions of Ramesses II and the Erasure of the God Seth

The inscriptions on the proper right side of the king’s throne (fig. 7) again proclaim Ramesses II’s "throne" and "birth" names, flanked by the king’s Horus name. An erasure in the king’s Horus name near the front corner interestingly reveals that the god Seth was originally invoked here as a protector deity of Ramesses II. The image of Seth was removed during the next stage of the statue’s history, when it was transferred to its final eastern Delta site of Tanis, where it was venerated by Dynasty 21 and 22 kings. More about this deity, his appearance on the statue, and his later erasure follow below in connection with the inscriptions on the front of the statue and its base, along with more information about the movements of the statue.


Front of the Statue

Changes in the King’s Facial Features, Ears, and Headcloth

Close inspection of the king’s head and face reveals the alterations sculptors made in order to transform a work originally of the Middle Kingdom into one representing Ramesses II (ca. 1279–1213 B.C.). The recarving of the statue’s mouth is the most obvious change (fig. 8). Statues created in the middle of the Dynasty 12 have a mouth that is considerably broader than the somewhat pursed example now seen on the statue, and no Middle Kingdom sculpture includes the vertical lines now found at the corners of the mouth in this altered face.

In addition, the king’s headband was lowered, the uraeus cobra on the forehead shortened and narrowed, the right ear made smaller, and a plug hole incised in the lobe of the left ear. The lower eyelids — especially the left one — were flattened, the inner canthi were shortened and a line was incised above each upper lid. The wings of the nemes headdress were considerably narrowed and a broad collar and two pectorals were added. Altering the facial features of adopted works was common in the reign of Ramesses II and the aim of these modifications was clearly to produce an image that would be recognizable as one of the king. It is significant that the features that made the image identifiable were idealized, not realistic or what is usually called a "lifelike portrait." As such they were, however, known from other images of the same ruler.


Addition of Collar and Pectorals

On the breast of the statue a broad collar and two pectorals were added by Ramesside sculptors (fig. 8). The upper pectoral executed in raised relief contains the name of Ramesses II; the lower is incised and proclaims the name of Ramesses’s son Merneptah (see below).


Inscriptions of Ramesses II (ca. 1279–1213 B.C.) Beside the King’s Legs

The inscriptions on the front of the throne beside the king’s legs (fig. 9) have clearly been superimposed over earlier carvings, traces of which can be seen close to the left leg, although deciphering these remains still requires further study. In the later inscriptions the "throne" and "birth" names of Ramesses II (see above) are flanked by was scepters, symbols of dominion. Beside the king’s left leg (but not preserved on the other side) the inscription is topped by the sign for heaven, thus depicting an image of the world dominated by the king. All hieroglyphs face towards the king.


Inscriptions on the Horizontal Surface of the Base around the King’s Feet

In front of the feet (fig. 9) are two lines of inscriptions proclaiming the "throne" and "birth" names of Ramesses II. The hieroglyphs face towards ankh (life) signs in the center of each line.

The inscriptions to the right and left of the statue’s feet begin by referring to the king as netjer nefer, "perfect god (on earth)" followed by the phrase "Lord of the Two Lands" beside the right foot, and "Lord of appearances / crowns" beside the left foot. Significantly, the king is also called "[beloved of] Re-Harakhty (god of the rising sun)" beside the right foot, and "beloved of [chiseled out] great of strength" beside the left foot. "Great of strength" is a customary epithet of the god Seth, whose name has been erased here as it was on the proper right side of the throne. For these erasures and the god Seth see under "Statue Base."


Statue Base

Inscriptions of Merneptah (ca. 1213–1203 B.C.) and the Erasure of the God Seth

After the long rule of Ramesses II his thirteenth and only surviving son Merneptah became pharaoh. Merneptah’s short reign was troubled by general upheaval in the Mediterranean world – masses of people were on the move and mighty kingdoms fell. Merneptah barely managed to save Egypt from these disturbances.

The pharaoh claimed this statue as his own with an added pectoral (fig. 8) and a text along the base that starts with a central ankh sign in the middle of the base’s front (fig. 1) and continues along both sides (figs. 6, 7). The Ramesses II inscriptions above remained untouched.

On the left side of the base we find Merneptah’s "throne" name, "Soul of Re, beloved of Amun (the universal god worshiped at Karnak)," and "birth" name twice, "Beloved of Ptah (the creator god worshiped at Memphis), content with Maat." The first mention of Merneptah’s "birth" name is accompanied by the statement "beloved of [erased], the great god." In the second instance the birth name is followed by "beloved of Nut (the sky goddess), who gives birth to gods." On the proper right side of the base we find another erasure of the name of a god who is called "great of strength," a common epithet of the god Seth. Doubtlessly this deity’s name was also written here, as it was in the case of the erasure on the right side of the throne.

The character of the ancient Egyptian god Seth was intriguingly ambivalent (fig. 11). As god of strength (and thus metal) he stood for might and war, and as the counterpart of Horus he represented Upper Egypt without any detriment to that part of the country. However as the evil one who slew his brother Osiris, Seth was also a negative force and symbolized destruction and danger, as in foreign aggression, storm, and the color red.

The kings of the Dynasty 19 (ca. 1295–1186 B.C.), including Ramesses II and Merneptah, emphasized the god’s powerful side and believed they were under the special protection of the warrior deity. At their new capital city in the eastern Delta, Piramesse, Seth was prominently worshipped together with the gods of Memphis and Heliopolis: Ptah, Re, and Atum, who are key to the inscriptions on the back of this statue (fig. 2). However, after the end of the New Kingdom the negative view of the god Seth again came to the fore, which occasioned the erasures of his name on this statue (figs. 7, 10) and other monuments.



Biography of a Statue

The Move to Piramesse (Dynasty 19, ca. 1295–1186 B.C.)

The statue was originally created as a representation of King Amenemhat II (ca. 1919–1885 B.C.) or Senwosret II (ca. 1887–1878 B.C.) and undoubtedly erected in a Middle Kingdom temple site, perhaps in the Memphite region. The presence of Seth and the Memphite and Heliopolitan gods in the Ramesside inscriptions indicates irrefutably that this colossus was not only adopted by two Dynasty 19 kings (Ramesses II and Merneptah), but also relocated to their eastern Delta city of Piramesse (fig. 12) to function there as a royal image under the tutelage of the gods of that major location.

Move to Tanis (Dynasties 21 (ca. 1070–945 B.C.) and 22 (ca. 945–710 B.C.)

The Ramesside capital of Piramesse was, however, abandoned at the end of the New Kingdom, and the rulers of the Dynasties 21 and 22 founded a new city also in the eastern Delta, but north of Piramesse. This colossus was most probably found in the early 19th century in the new royal residence, which Egyptologists usually call by its Greek name, Tanis (San el-Hagar in Arabic). The colossus must have been transported to Tanis, along with other works of art — many dating to the Middle Kingdom — to embellish a temple of Amun intended to be the northern counterpart of the old, supreme Amun sanctuary at Karnak near present day Luxor in southern Egypt. During this period the dangerous nature of the god Seth had become more prominent and his name was erased. Nevertheless, the inscriptions of the long-dead Ramesside kings remained untouched, probably because their presence was thought to strengthen the connection between the temple at Tanis and the Karnak temple, home to many Ramesside statues.

It must have been during the transport of the colossus from Piramesse to Tanis that the proper left back corner of the throne broke off and was reattached with the help of metal clamps (fig. 6).

Attempts to Cut Up the Statue (Ptolemaic and Roman Times, 4th century B.C. – 4th century A.D.)

A row of holes between the throne and base are typical for the attempts by post-pharaonic quarrymen to break up stone statues in order to reuse the material in building projects (fig. 7). Clearly by that time this statue had ceased to be an object of veneration. We do not know why the attempt was abandoned.

Modern History

In the first decades of the 19th century of our era many statues were excavated at Tanis and incorporated into collections assembled by the Italian Benedetto Drovetti in Alexandria from where they were sold to a number of European museums. In 1837 the Kingdom of Prussia acquired this colossus from Drovetti for the newly founded Museum of Egyptian Antiquities in Berlin. In its later home (the so-called Neues Museum), the colossus flanked the main doorway from the spectacularly outfitted "Egyptian Court" along with another even larger Middle Kingdom statue that had been restored using the lower part of a representation of King Senwosret I. The museum was bombed during World War II, but the statue was protected by sandbags and survived. When the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin rebuilt the Neues Museum, the colossus was relocated to the courtyard of the Pergamon Museum (fig. 7), from which it traveled in 2011 by truck and ship to New York as a long-term loan to The Metropolitan Museum of Art during the renovation of the Pergamon Museum.

Dorothea Arnold 2015

Ex collection Bernardo Drovetti; acquired by the Ägyptisches Museum Berlin in 1837.