Model Ear of Ramessumerysutekh

To the modern viewer, the oversize ear of Ramessumerysutekh might be reminiscent of votive objects offered in churches and temples in hope—or gratitude—for a healed body part. In ancient Egypt, however, only certain body parts—ears, eyes, and genitalia—were represented as models or inscribed on stelae, suggesting they were associated less with a specific ailment than with a connection to the divine.

Model ears are conceptually related to so-called ear stelae. Such stelae often depict pairs of ears, but their numbers vary, reaching as many as 376. These amounts suggest that rather than depicting a deity’s ears, the representations evoke the act of hearing itself. Ear stelae were deposited in temples throughout Egypt. In Memphis, for example, a large number were in a chapel dedicated to the god Ptah, who bears the epithet "One Who Hears Prayers." Alongside Ptah, other gods—such as Amun- Re, Thoth, Hathor, Nebethetepet, and the deified queen Ahmose Nefertari—also received ear stelae. These stelae show a variety of forms and styles, and many are crudely made and uninscribed. This suggests they could have been donated by a broad circle of society. Similarly, Ramessumerysutekh’s ear is rudimentarily sculpted, and underneath its deeply carved hieroglyphs is an uneven replication.

These ear models and ear stelae, which envision unmediated access to the divine, are mostly dated to the New Kingdom and later, an era when personal piety took central stage well beyond the royal court.