DOI Artikel:
Edgar, Campbell Cowan: Recent discoveries at Kom El Hisn
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.9427#0072
i
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the crown (or perhaps I sbould say the nalural hair emerging from under the
crown) ends at each ear in an angle inslead of in the usual short horizontal
line. Both thèse features, the absence of the uraeus and the angular projec-
tion at the ear, occur in other works of the same school. Though the chin is
broken, it is évident that it did not bave an artificial beard atlached to it. The
eyebrows are not disfigured by the conventional stripes. Faint folds are engra-
ved along the upper eyelids. The uneven contour of the cheeks is modelled
with much delicacy.
The best works of the same class, or at least the great maiority of them, are
now assigned to Sesostris III and Amenemhat IIIAs a statue of Amenemhat III
was found in the neighbouring temple, one is naturally led to suppose that the
head from the tomb may belong to another statue of the same king; yet, as far
as one can judge by the features, it might equally well be a portrait of Sesostris(2).
The truth is, the sculptors of thèse admirable works, bowever realistic thev
appear to us, were more faithful to the gênerai type than to the individual
model; and without external évidence I do not venture to identify the Kom el
Hisn head as the likeness of a particular king.
III
The statue of which the head was found in the tomb of the high priest
probably stood in the neighbouring temple of Hathor nebt Amou. The tem-
ple is utterly destroyed, and even the site of it is barely distinguishable.
But some broken statues of Bamses II are still lying on the ground(3); and near
them, in 1911, the sebbakhin found a much damaged group of Amenemhat III
and two princesses. The king's head is missing and for a moment I thought
the head from the tomb might belong to the statue; but unfortunatelv it does
not fît.
The statue is made of basait. The figure of the king is o m. 90 cent, high,
and the plinth is o m. 3o cent. high. The king is seated on a throne, wearing a
long mantle, which reaches to his ankles, and holding the scourge and crook
against his breast. On each side, a little apart from hirn, stands a princess. The
(1) Bissing-Bruckmann, Denlcmàhr, text to pl. 26 A. The head there puhlished, though more
sharp-cut and more highly polished, has much affinity to ours.
'2) Cf. Legrain, Statues et statuettes, vol. I, pl. Vf.
(3) The best-preserved of thèse statues (Griffith, Naukratis, II, p. 78, n° h) was removed last
year to the Cairo Muséum.
—!-»•( 62 )•«-»—
the crown (or perhaps I sbould say the nalural hair emerging from under the
crown) ends at each ear in an angle inslead of in the usual short horizontal
line. Both thèse features, the absence of the uraeus and the angular projec-
tion at the ear, occur in other works of the same school. Though the chin is
broken, it is évident that it did not bave an artificial beard atlached to it. The
eyebrows are not disfigured by the conventional stripes. Faint folds are engra-
ved along the upper eyelids. The uneven contour of the cheeks is modelled
with much delicacy.
The best works of the same class, or at least the great maiority of them, are
now assigned to Sesostris III and Amenemhat IIIAs a statue of Amenemhat III
was found in the neighbouring temple, one is naturally led to suppose that the
head from the tomb may belong to another statue of the same king; yet, as far
as one can judge by the features, it might equally well be a portrait of Sesostris(2).
The truth is, the sculptors of thèse admirable works, bowever realistic thev
appear to us, were more faithful to the gênerai type than to the individual
model; and without external évidence I do not venture to identify the Kom el
Hisn head as the likeness of a particular king.
III
The statue of which the head was found in the tomb of the high priest
probably stood in the neighbouring temple of Hathor nebt Amou. The tem-
ple is utterly destroyed, and even the site of it is barely distinguishable.
But some broken statues of Bamses II are still lying on the ground(3); and near
them, in 1911, the sebbakhin found a much damaged group of Amenemhat III
and two princesses. The king's head is missing and for a moment I thought
the head from the tomb might belong to the statue; but unfortunatelv it does
not fît.
The statue is made of basait. The figure of the king is o m. 90 cent, high,
and the plinth is o m. 3o cent. high. The king is seated on a throne, wearing a
long mantle, which reaches to his ankles, and holding the scourge and crook
against his breast. On each side, a little apart from hirn, stands a princess. The
(1) Bissing-Bruckmann, Denlcmàhr, text to pl. 26 A. The head there puhlished, though more
sharp-cut and more highly polished, has much affinity to ours.
'2) Cf. Legrain, Statues et statuettes, vol. I, pl. Vf.
(3) The best-preserved of thèse statues (Griffith, Naukratis, II, p. 78, n° h) was removed last
year to the Cairo Muséum.