Kneeling Statue of Tjainefer

Kneeling Statue of Tjainefer
Kneeling Statue of Tjainefer

GEM Number

3753

Collection

Main Galleries

Period

New Kingdom

Description

This kneeling granite statue was discovered in 1904 in the Karnak Cache (CK 396). It represents Tjainefer, a high priest of Amun, wearing a long wig that frames his face and reaches to his upper chest leaving his ears exposed. He kneels on a rectangular base, sitting back on his heels with his feet perpendicular to the ground against a dorsal pillar. A ram-headed vase is steadied between his knees and his outstretched arms, palms resting flat half way up the vase. The ram was a sacred animal for the supreme deity of ancient Egypt Amun-Re. A horizontal line of incised hieroglyphs bordered by two incised lines runs around the base, starting at its front face and ending at the back. The back pillar is also decorated with a single column of text. The inscriptions on the statue provide its owner’s name, title and an offering prayer invoking Amun-Re to grant him a number of favours for his welfare in the afterlife. Stylistic details of the sculpture suggest a date in Dynasty 19 or 20.

Region
Upper Egypt
Area
Luxor
Granite

Height

42 cm

Width

14.5 cm

Length

24 cm