statue

Commissioned when he was still a general and administrator, Haremhab's grandorite statue shows him in the scribal pose, seated on the ground with his legs crossed. The style of this magnificent lifesize sculpture (it is a bit over 1 metre in height) retains some of the softness and naturalism of the earlier Amarna Period (the time of Akhenaten), while looking forward to later Ramesside art.

By having himself depicted as a scribe, Haremhab - the leader of the pharaoh's army - declares himself to be among the elite group of literate individuals, thus following a tradition more than a thousand years old of depicting great officials as men of wisdom and learning.

Across his knees is a papyrus scroll on which is written a hymn to Thoth, the god of scribes. In his right hand (now missing) he probably held a reed, the pen of ancient Egyptians. A shell of ink lies on his left knee. Over his left shoulder is a strap, with a miniature scribe's kit at each end. A figure of the god Amun is incised on his forearm, perhaps representing a tattoo.

This bronze head is part of a life-size statue of a full-grown man. Its expressive eyes are made of white stone (likely alabaster) and glass paste in light green, brown and black. Red glass paste is used to outline the lachrymal canals and cut-out copper render the eyelashes. The statue's negelected hair and beard, the aquiline nose, as well as the wrinkles on the forehead and around the eyes and the small wart on the left cheekbone reveal the portrait nature of the sculpture. The head - thought to be the work of a Hellenic sculptor belonging to the artistic circle of Silanion - ranks among the most remarkable sculpted pieces from the early Hellenistic age.

It was discovered in 2004 in the 'Golyama Kosmatka' burial mound in the Kazanlak valley near Shipka, Stara Zagora region. The bronze head was placed vertically facing south. It was supported with stones and ritually buried (during or after the funerary ceremony) some 7 metres from the facede of the 23-long alley leading from the mound's periphery toward the sepulcher.

The direct connection of the bronze head with the tomb and the burial ritual, the way in which the hair and the beard are depicted and the vague resemblance to the images of Seuthes on the coins found in Seuthopolis allows for the possibility that the bronze head is part of a sculpted portrait of the Tracian ruler himself.

Images

Put your Flickr photos of this object into the Heritage Key group, and tag them with keyobject-11034, to see them here!

The mortuary temple of Amenhotep III at Thebes included hundreds of comissioned scultptures in the likeness of the Pharaoh. Symbols of the plants of Upper and Lower Egypt are carved into the sides of the throne upon which the King sits, representing the unification of the two lands and how it is Amenhotep III's role as Pharoah to keep them together. An inscription on the back pillar was erased during a campaign against representations of Amun during the reign of Akhenaten. The inscriptions were subsequently restored after Tutankhamun switched back to the old faith.

Charioteers are shown holding onto the (long decayed) reins of their horses. Charioteers can’t defend themselves while driving so they normally wear heavy armour that extends over their hands and collar. Yet, for some unknown reason, the fellow in this picture is wearing the armour of a regular infantryman – exposing himself to great danger.

By 221 BC charioteers had become an elite position in the Qin army and were called yushou (royal driver). They directed the foot soldiers in battle.

Some charioteers drove command chariots, which contained a general and guard. They would have had a leather drum and a bronze bell – used by the general for communicating with his troops.

Nearly 1,000 low ranking foot soldiers have been identified among Qin Shi Huang’s Terracotta army. Some are fitted with armour and some were not.

Each terracotta figure has a unique face which has led scholars to suggest that they are a representation of real people who lived about 2,200 years ago. If that’s the case then some of the soldiers in the emperor’s army may have had to make do without armour.

This particular fellow is outfitted only with a tunic, short trousers and strips of leather or cloth that are wound up around his lower legs. He may have served behind the front-lines as a bowman.
 

This large granite head is attributed to Caesarion, also known as Ptolemy XV Philopater Philometer Caesar, son of Cleopatra who ruled alongside his mother from 44 to 30 BC. It was discoverd in Alexandria's harbour, opposite the island of Antirhodos, by Franck Goddio's underwater archaeological team. The head is part of a statue measuring around 16.4ft in height, and features in the Cleopatra: The Search for the Last Queen of Egypt exhibition.