The childlike appearance of this kneeling statuette, with its large head, beautiful features, plump body, and short legs, is characteristic of some metal royal statues made during the Late Period, when the king was associated with juvenile gods such as Horus, son of Isis. This work, like the stone statuary from the reign of Amasis, testifies to the high level of artistry attained during his rule.
The figure is solid-the body, limbs, and attributes were all integrally cast. Precious-metal leaf once covered the king's nemes; additional embellishment was provided by inlaid inscriptions on the kilt flap and the belt in the back, in each case spelling out a different name of King Amasis. The inscriptions were executed at different times in the life of the statue, an earlier inscription on the back planned from the beginning, and a secondary inscription on the front of the kilt. No clear motive for adding a replacement inscription to an otherwise complete figure has thus far been recognized. Both forearms were damaged in antiquity, probably when the figure was wrenched from its base.
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Artwork Details
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Title:Kneeling statuette of King Amasis
Period:Late Period, Saite
Dynasty:Dynasty 26
Reign:reign of Amasis
Date:570–526 B.C.
Geography:From Egypt
Medium:Bronze, precious metal inlay and leaf
Dimensions:h. 11 cm (4 5/16 in); w. 4.8 cm (1 7/8 in); d. 6 cm (2 3/8 in)
Credit Line:Gift of Edward S. Harkness, 1935
Accession Number:35.9.3
Donated to the Museum by Edward S. Harkness, 1935.
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Hill, Marsha 2007. "Casting About: The Late Period (664–332 B.C.) and the Macedonian-Ptolemaic Period (332–30 B.C.)." In Gifts for the Gods: Images from Egyptian Temples, edited by Marsha Hill and Deborah Schorsch. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, pp. 120–21, fig. 55, no. 47.
Schorsch, Deborah 2007. "The Manufacture of Metal Statuary: "Seeing the Workshops of the Temple." In Gifts for the Gods: Images from Egyptian Temples, edited by Marsha Hill and Deborah Schorsch. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, p. 197, no. 47.
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Schorsch, Deborah 2014. "A Conservator's Perspective." In Archaeometallurgy in Global Perspective: Methods and Syntheses, edited by Benjamin W. Roberts and Christopher .P. Thornton. New York: Springer Publishing Company, p. 280, fig. 12.5.
Jansen-Winkeln, Karl 2014. Inschriften der Spätzeit, Teil IV: Die 26. Dynastie, 2 vols.. Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz Verlag, pp. 467-468.
Schorsch, Deborah 2019. "Ritual Metal Statuary in Ancient Egypt: "A Long Life and a Great Good Age." In Statues in Context: Production, meaning and (re)uses, edited by Aurelia Masson-Berghoff. Leuven: Peeters, pp. 252-55, figs. 3–4a, b; p. 264.
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