Limestone statue of Horemheb and wife

            Limestone statue of Horemheb and one of his wives seated on chairs with lion-paw feet; man wears curled lappet-wig, pleated garment with short flared sleeves and sandals; woman wears gala-wig; no inscription; damage to chest and hands of woman.

This sculpture was never quite finished, and received no inscription. When the British Museum bought it in 1839 its provenance was unknown, so the couple’s identity has long remained a mystery. However, in 1976 a missing fragment of their entwined hands was discovered at Saqqara (ancient Memphis) in the tomb complex of General Horemheb. The statue thus represented the commander-in-chief and presumably his first wife, Amenia. The fragment remains in Egypt, but the current exhibit incorporates a cast. The pleated garments, elaborate wigs, and Horemheb’s sandals all signal high status and contemporary fashion. 

Horemheb commanded Egypt's armed forces under Tutankhamun and acted as the boy king's regent. Tutankhamun died young without an heir. The throne passed briefly to Ay, a much older relative, and then to Horemheb, despite his non-royal descent. He was never buried in his tomb at Saqqara, where the statue had been intended as a focus for his mortuary cult. Following tradition, Horehemb now began preparing a royal tomb at Thebes, in the Valley of the Kings.

The statue was particularly admired by the sculptor Henry Moore (1898-1986), and was the inspiration for his King and Queen (1952-3), now in the Tate Gallery, London. In 1998, as part of a tribute marking the centenary of his birth, the Tate Gallery lent the King and Queen to the British Museum. The two couples were placed together in the Egyptian Sculpture Gallery as if in conversation.

18th dynasty, probably reign of Ay (abt. 1327-1323 BCE)
From Saqqara, Tomb of Horemheb, Egypt
Limestone

British Museum (EA36, 1839,0921.726)

Some rights reserved

Taken on: December 22, 2023

Tags:

Egyptian

ancient

statues

sculpture group

18th dynasty

Horemheb

wife

Tutankhamun

Tutankhamen

Saqqara

Memphis

Thebes

Valley of the Kings

British Museum « less

Sets appears in: • Egyptian antiquities • British Museum

Groups appears in: • Sculpture • British Museum more » • The Ancient World • World Archaeology & Arts/ΑΡΧΑΙΟΛΟΓΙΑ&ΤΕΧΝΕΣ-Rea • Egyptian Art & Sculpture in Museums • Museums of the World • Ancient Egyptian Art • Your Museum Images • Photos at the Museum « less

Camera: Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max, f/1.8, 1/35 sec, 6.9mm, ISO 1000 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max
Lens:	iPhone 15 Pro Max back triple camera 6.86mm f/1.78
Aperture:	f/1.8
Exposure Time:	0.029 sec (1/35)
Focal Length:	6.9mm
ISO:	1000
Exposure Bias:	0 EV
Flash:	Off, Did not fire
Exposure Program:	Program AE
Exposure Mode:	Auto
Metering Mode:	Multi-segment
White Balance:	Auto
Color Space:	sRGB
Software:	17.1.2
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