Colossal Seated Statue of Amenhotep III, reworked, reinscribed by Merneptah

Colossal Seated Statue of Amenhotep III, reworked, reinscribed by Merneptah

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This colossus of Amenhotep III, whose distinctive facial features are still recognizable despite their damaged state, once adorned the temple he built to Amen-Re in Luxor (ancient Thebes). Like so many Dynasty 18 monuments, this statue, along with its partner (22.5.1), was usurped a century and a half later by Merneptah, who had it moved from its original location to the eastern portal of the temple. Merneptah's deeply incised titulary contrasts with the restrained carving of the sema tawy ("Unification of the Two Lands") motif on both sides of the throne of the other, larger colossus. While the broad, flat planes and bold proportions are typical of Egyptian architectural statuary, these two pieces are distinguished by the quality of their sculptural details, such as the rendering of the faces and the elements of the costumes.

Egyptian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Colossal Seated Statue of Amenhotep III, reworked, reinscribed by MerneptahColossal Seated Statue of Amenhotep III, reworked, reinscribed by MerneptahColossal Seated Statue of Amenhotep III, reworked, reinscribed by MerneptahColossal Seated Statue of Amenhotep III, reworked, reinscribed by MerneptahColossal Seated Statue of Amenhotep III, reworked, reinscribed by Merneptah

The Met collection of ancient Egyptian art consists of approximately 30,000 objects of artistic, historical, and cultural importance, dating from about 300,000 BCE to the 4th century CE. A signifcant percentage of the collection is derived from the Museum's three decades of archaeological work in Egypt, initiated in 1906 in response to increasing interest in the culture of ancient Egypt.