Seated Statue of Amenhotep, Son of Hapu

Author(s): C. Zarnoch, E. Sullivan

Description: This seated statue represents Amenhotep son of Hapu, the royal scribe and architect of Amenhotep III. He is depicted here as an aged man: his chest sags, his stomach is rounded, and the fleshiness of old age marks his face. The inscription states that he had reached the age of 80 (extraordinarily old for an ancient Egyptian) and wished to attain 110 years (the perfect lifespan).

Provenance: Found in front of the north face of the 7th pylon
Person: Amenhotep son of Hapu, from the reign of Amenhotep III
Date: Dynasty 18, New Kingdom (1390-1352 BCE)
Material: Grey granite
Functional Comments: The statue was designed to act as an intermediary between the living and the gods. Such “intermediary” statues were placed near the entrances of temples so that they could be approached and prayed to by those unable to gain access to the interior of the temple.
Dimensions: H: 117cm
Current Location: Cairo Museum

Bibliography:

Legrain, G. (1906). Statues et statuettes de rois et de particuliers. Le Caire, Impr. de l’Institut français d’archéologie orientale. pp. 78-80.

Tiradritti, F. and A. d. Luca (1999). Egyptian Treasures from the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. New York, H. N. Abrams. p182.

Van der Plas, D. (2006). “The Global Egyptian Museum, Center for Documentation of Cultural and Natural Heritage.” http://www.globalegyptianmuseum.org

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