Limestone statue of Amenhotep I

From Deir el-Bahari, Thebes, Egypt
18th Dynasty, about 1510 BC

The classic pose of Osiris

After the construction of the mortuary complex of Nebhepetre Mentuhotep II (2055-2004 BC) in the Eleventh Dynasty (about 2125-1985 BC), the area of Deir el-Bahari became a holy place. This statue comes from a temple set up there by Amenhotep I (1525-1504 BC). It shows Amenhotep as Osiris. The temple itself was probably dedicated to the particular form of the goddess Hathor who was revered at Deir el-Bahari.

Relatively little is known about Amenhotep's temple, since it was dismantled when Hatshepsut (1479-1457 BC) started work on her own mortuary complex at Deir el-Bahari. A number of statues such as this were probably placed at the entrance to Amenhotep's temple, and when the temple was dismantled they were apparently moved to the site of the Mentuhotep temple, where they kept company with the statues of Senwosret III (1874-1855 BC), placed there at a much earlier date.

The history of this statue is evidence of the respect sometimes shown by one king to a predecessor when it was necessary to move a structure.

T.G.H. James and W.V. Davies, Egyptian sculpture (London, The British Museum Press, 1983)

I. Lindblad, Royal sculpture of the early e (Stockholm, Medelhavsmuseet, 1984)