Egyptian statue of Amenhotep II kneeling with ‘Nu’ Jars and wearing the double crown

Statue of Amenhotep II

Dimensions - Height - 34cm / 13-1/2 inches

Base length - 12.5cm / 5 inches

Base width - 7.5cm / 3 inches

Every so often a fragment is found that can be unified with an already known fragment in a museum or private collection. This complete statue replica is the result of one of the most successful unifications of separated fragments from Egypt’s great jigsaw of shattered history.

The head resides in the Boston museum in the United States while the body is housed in the Louvre museum in France. Brought together by the two museums for the purpose of making a study replica, we now have the ability to see how the ancient artist intended the statue to be.

To my knowledge, after the statue was temporarily reassembled, the peices were once again sent back to the archives of each museum and are very rarely on display.



Amenhotep II



This replica statue features the unmistakable face of Pharaoh Amenhotep II, the son of the great Thutmose III of the 18th dynasty. Great in his own right, he maintained a strong hold on Egypt’s greatly extended empire.

He is in the pose of a kneeling monarch making an offering to an unseen god, most likely it would have been a statue of Amen at least twice the height of the king.
He wears a pleated shendyt kilt, the red and white double crown of a united Egypt (North & South) and holds two ‘Nu’ jars that would have held fragant oils.

Of interest is another, almost identical statue in the Metropolitan museum suggesting they were used in tandem. Not quite the fine finish of this example it is however entirely complete.

This piece is made of a limestone and quartzite composition stone and has been given an aged patina using the appropriate Egyptian colour palette.

A felt lined base ensures your furniture will be protected.

The Pharaoh - The Pharaoh Amenhotep, also known as Amenophis in the Greek translation, was the second of four Pharaoh’s to be given that name. The son of Thutmose III he inherited an empire that had reached the broadest range of land under Egyptian control. He continued to maintain this control with military campaigns to strengthen the hold on lands that brought tribute and all manner of cultural exchange. He was quite an athletic young Pharaoh and this has been documented in terms of his skill with a bow and arrow during target practice. A notable hunting prowess and other physical pursuits reinforce the image of a vibrant Pharaoh at the height of empire.

The Statue - This statue is typical of the almost spritely features that seem to inhabit many of this king’s statues. Almond shaped eyes that were a feature of the two preceeding monarchs can still be found here, along with a subtle smile that belies the pressure of kingship.

Kneeling statues were a popular choice during the previous reigns and he continued the tradition in fine form. The crown worn in these statues varied from the red crown, white crown, double crown or the striped nemes head cloth. This example depicts the double crown that signified the union of upper and lower Egypt. Wearing a simple tunic he is holding two ‘Nu’ jars that probably contained the most precious unguents for a fragrant offering to the gods. Remnants of his name can be seen in a double cartouche on the base below his knees.

A stylized ‘Ben-Ben’ stone or obelisk adds strength and support at the back of the figure as well as being symbolic of the dawn of creation.