This statue represents Nebhepetre Mentuhotep II, a pharaoh who was already deified during his lifetime and later was revered as one of the founder kings of Egypt. After the political turmoils of the First Intermediate Period, Nebhepetre re-unified Upper and Lower Egypt around 2040 BC. This made him the first ruler of the Middle Kingdom, a period of great prosperity and impressive artistic achievements that was to last for more than three hundred years. 

The statue is not just a representation of the king. It is a symbol of regeneration. At first sight, it looks extremely archaic with its pole-like shape, and closely joined thick legs, and enormous feet. This archaism is intentional—we know from other works of the time that sculptors were perfectly able to create statues of exquisite realism. In this statue, Mentuhotep wears a garment that closely resembles the short mantle worn by kings at their traditional renewal festival—the Heb Sed—which was ideally celebrated after thirty years of rule. Another symbol of regeneration is found in the gesture of the king’s arms. They are crossed over the chest as in images of Osiris, god of death and revival. You can see that each of the king’s clenched hands is pierced. They once held the crook and flail scepters of the Egyptian pharaoh and of Osiris.

Two rows of statues like this one lined the approach to the king’s terraced funeral temple at Deir el-Bahri in western Thebes. The base of each statue was buried in the ground, so that its rough surface was not visible. Archaeological evidence has shown that the original plan was to have a sycamore or a tamarisk tree grow behind each statue. The trees further emphasizing life and renewal. Unfortunately, the few trees actually planted soon died in the arid desert.