Bust of a dignitary, reinscribed with divine figures
New Kingdom, Ramesside
Multiple past lives are visible on this statue’s surface. The statue initially depicted a man of the Ramesside Period, clothed in a pleated-sleeved garment and an elaborate hairstyle that was fashionable at his time. Such statues were placed in temple courtyards to be visited by gods and future generations.
A few centuries later, another patron appropriated the statue and had its features reworked, reducing the hair’s volume and the waist. At the time, seven divine figures were probably carved onto the front, sides, and back, thereby enveloping the statue. The adapted waistline and the figures’ elongated features and placement suggest these additions were made in the Third Intermediate Period when divine figures appeared prominently on statues, embodying direct contact with the gods.
