Developing The King S Image Early in The

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The Star Who Appears in Thebes

Studies in Honour of Jiro Kondo


Professor Jiro Kondo at the discovery of the tomb of Khonsuemheb, el-Khokha, Luxor.
The Star Who Appears in Thebes
Studies in Honour of Jiro Kondo

Nozomu Kawai &


Benedict G. Davies
Editors

Abercromby Press
ISBN: 978 1 912246 13 7

© 2022 Nozomu Kawai & Benedict G. Davies

A CIP catalogue record of this book is available from the British Library

First published in the United Kingdom in 2022

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form
or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, without prior written
permission of the publisher.

Cover image:
Northern Stars on the ceiling of the burial chamber in the tomb of Seti I
in the Valley of the Kings. © Nozomu Kawai.

Typeset in 12/14.5 pt Adobe Caslon Pro


Designed and typeset by Benedict G. Davies

Published by:
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Printed in Great Britain


Contents

Preface ix

Acknowledgements x

Foreword by Professor Dr Sakuji Yoshimura xi

A Message to Professor Jiro Kondo from Professor Ryuzaburo Takahashi xiii

A Personal History by Professor Jiro Kondo xv

Biography & Principal Bibliography of Jiro Kondo xxiii

List of Abbreviations & Sigla xxvii

Motoharu Arimura
A Reconsideration on the “&nj = Mainland Greece” Theory 1

David A. Aston
The Earliest Tombs in the Valley of the Kings: A Ceramic Perspective 11

Masahiro Baba
An Intact Pit–burial Discovered at Dahshur North 43

Juan Antonio Belmonte


Nefertiti Strikes Back! A Comprehensive Multidisciplinary Approach for the End of the
Amarna Period 53

Betsy Bryan
Developing the King’s Image Early in the Reign of Amenhotep III 87

Mark Collier
Expectations and Bias in the Use of Late Egyptian Negative Polar Interrogatives with (i)n 107

Aidan Dodson
The Genesis of the New Kingdom Royal Necropoleis 117

Tetsu Hanasaka
The Diffusion, Use and Manufacture of Pharaonic Leather Boots: Based on the Study
of Footwear from Akoris, Middle Egypt 137
vi Contents

Zahi Hawass
The Discovery of KV 65 in the West Valley of the Kings 153

Nonoka Ishizaki
Note on the Joint Techniques Used in Assembling Anthropoid Coffins in
New Kingdom Egypt 171

Nozomu Kawai
Intact Simultaneous Multiple Burials on the slope of an Outcropping
in Northwest Saqqara 183

Takao Kikuchi
spXr zXA.w n a.t jmn.t on the Walls of the Burial Chamber in the Royal Tomb
of Amenhotep III 207

Hiromasa Kurokouchi
The Meaning behind the Baron Empain Palace 225

Peter Lacovara
An Ostracon of Sobek 243

Lise Manniche
Depicting the Unseen: The Womb in Egyptian Representation — from Space to Object 247

Michele Marcolin
An Elusive Biographic Fragment of Iny 267

Musashi Minamisawa
The Relationship between the Skills and Quality in the Production of Faience Shabtis:
A Study by the Experiment of Manufacturing 293

Masakatsu Nagai
Notes on the Hieratic Script of Pap. Turin Cat. 1885 in the Collection of the Egyptian
Museum, Turin 309

Boyo Ockinga & Susanne Binder


The Texts on the Granite Sarcophagus of the Third Prophet of Amun,
Amenemope (TT 148) 321

Mu-chou Poo
The Axial Age in Light of the Earliest Burial Customs of Ancient Egypt 339

Nicholas Reeves
Isseki nichō : One Ring, Two Reigns (MMA 59.151.2) 351

Kumiko Saito
Diversity of the Family System in Ancient Egypt 359
Contents vii

Tsubasa Sakamoto
A (Post-)Meroitic Chieftain at Jebel Umm Marrihi 369

Kunihiro Seto
Ethnographie de l’art du bâton « nabbout » — à travers l’étude de cas portant
sur le village de Gournah 383

Noriyuki Shirai
Does Time Fly like an Arrow? A Study on the Evolution of Fayum Neolithic Arrowheads 393

Helen Strudwick
Reuse, Appropriation and Ownership in Ancient Egypt: a Prolegomenon 413

Nigel Strudwick
The Shabti Box of Taweretshedes in the Fitzwilliam Museum 429

Yoshiyuki Suto
Pausanias on Egyptian Monuments and History 451

Kazumitsu Takahashi
The Possible Meaning of Intentional Breakages on New Kingdom Amphorae
from Dahshur North 465

Keita Takenouchi
Innovation in Offering Lists and the ‘Ritualisation’ of Funerary Vessels —
Connection between Vessel Assemblages and Offering Rituals in the Third Dynasty 475

Keiko Tazawa
Transforming Goddesses in Ancient Egypt 491

Koichiro Wada
The Stela of the High Priest of Neith, Ptahemwia, from Dahshur 501

Seria Yamazaki
Tradition and Innovation in the Royal Object Ritual During the Middle Kingdom 509

Yoshifumi Yasuoka
The Mixed Use of Column Types and Hybrid Columns in Egyptian Architecture 525

Ken Yazawa
The Archaeological Context of Small Faience Items in a late Middle Kingdom Tomb
in Dahshur North: Evidence for the Sealing Rite of the Burial Chamber? 533

Kento Zenihiro
Norman de Garis Davies’s Manuscripts about Funerary Cones in the Sudan Library 543

Christiane Ziegler
The Vine, the Grape and the Wine in the Tomb of Tetiky (TT 15) 553
Developing the king’s image early in the reign of Amenhotep III

Betsy Bryan

Dr Kondo has been researching and studying the tombs of the Theban cemeteries, particu-
larly of the time of Amenhotep III, for several decades. His contributions to the location,
orientation, architecture, and decoration of these tombs have shaped our understanding of
the Theban necropolis in many ways, as evidenced in his publications. Dr Kondo has recently
studied the tomb of Userhet in Khokha with a highly challenging project in this large lime-
stone relief chapel; he was a major part of the conservation project at the tomb of Amenhotep
1
III himself in the West Valley of the Kings. Before that, however, he was an important part
of the comparative tombs study that considered a large number of tombs of the reigns of
2
Thutmose IV and Amenhotep III. I hope that he will find some elements of interest in the
discussion below, which focuses on the creation of a facial identity for Amenhotep III at the
beginning of his reign.
The early reign of Amenhotep III is largely a blank canvas for those of us interested in the
visual history of the king’s rule. Although there is nothing to suggest anything other than
prosperity in both foreign and domestic contexts, the historical events and prosopography
3
of the first twenty years are likewise often opaque. The discussion below is the first of two
that will look at the art and governance of Amenhotep III’s early reign. This contribution
will consider the origin of the royal “portrait” style that can be isolated for the first decade of
4
the reign. The second contribution will re-examine several officials from the period to assess
their influence on the king and the first years of his reign. It is hoped that in combination,
these articles will throw light on governance during the first two decades and suggest how
the decoration of temples and Theban tombs reflected the developing kingship.

1 S. Yoshimura, and J. Kondo, ‘Report on the first season of work at al-Khokha area in the Theban
necropolis’, ASAE 87, (2014), pp. 227–244; S. Yoshimura and J. Kondo, ‘The tomb of Amenophis III: Waseda
University excavations 1989–2000’, ASAE 78 (2004), pp. 205–209.
2 S. Sakurai, J. Kondo and S. Yoshimura, Comparative studies of noble tombs in Theban necropolis (tomb
nos. 8, 38, 39, 48, 50, 54, 57, 63, 64, 66, 74, 78, 89, 90, 91, 107, 120, 139, 147, 151, 181, 201, 253, 295), Tokyo: Waseda
University, 1988.
3 In general, see E. Cline and D. O’Connor (eds), Amenhotep III: perspectives on his reign, University of
Michigan Press, Ann Arbor, 1998.
4 B. Bryan, ‘Portraiture’. in M. Hartwig, (ed), A Companion to Ancient Egyptian Art, Chichester, 2014,
pp. 375–396.
88 Betsy Bryan

I. The Relief “portraits” of Amenhotep III early in his reign


The discussion here is largely concerned with relief sculpture from temple contexts at the
beginning of Amenhotep III’s rule. The earliest dated visual renderings of Amenhotep III
himself come from three sources: the alabaster shrine of Thutmose IV in Karnak, which was
completed with a dedication by Amenhotep III; the Elkab shrine to Nekhbet, Lady of the
Wadi, with a similar completion dedication; and the partial Tura limestone quarry relief of
5
Year 2 preserved in the Toledo Museum (1925.522), which represents the king’s entire figure.

The Karnak Shrine of Thutmose IV completed by Amenhotep III


The shrine in the Open-Air Museum of Karnak Temple was reconstructed from blocks
6
primarily found within the Third Pylon of Amenhotep III. The Karnak atelier depicted
Thutmose IV in the khepresh with an elongated ovoid eye, set obliquely in a broad eyelid, and
two distinct nose shapes. A beaked nose, a frequent characteristic of the Thutmoside rulers,
Thutmose III and Amenhotep II, alternated with a shorter and straighter nasal profile. Both
noses can be seen in the king’s sandstone peristyle court depictions, as well as here on the
alabaster shrine. (Figs 1 & 2) Whether this was a patron’s choice, and who the patron would
have been, is unknown, but it is useful to note that the more beaked visage appears on the
colossal relief figure of the king in the sandstone peristyle court and therefore should have
been the responsibility of those directing the craftsmen. (Fig. 3)
This shrine was dedicated by Thutmose IV, but it was completed with minor modifications
7
to the decoration by Amenhotep III, whose figure appears on the proper north exterior in
front of the dedication inscription (Fig. 4). The facial profiles of Thutmose IV on the Karnak
alabaster shrine, regardless of his crown, include a sloping forehead and forward-jutting mouth
and chin (often only slight), along with an ovoid eye shape. Evaluation of Amenhotep III’s
early “portrait” identification on the shrine is, however, complicated by the marred surface of
the scene. It can, however, be compared to the scene on the opposite shrine exterior in mirror
placement. On the proper south side, the upper register scene heading away from the entrance
door shows Thutmose IV wearing the khepresh and being escorted by Montu toward Amun-Re
who offers life to the king (Fig. 5). The lower register directly beneath shows Thutmose IV, also
in the khepresh, carved with a rare facial profile with a very narrow and elongated eye, certainly
narrower than any in his Karnak sandstone peristyle court. The nose is straight and long, and
the upper lip of the mouth is thicker than on nearly all other depictions on the shrine (Fig.
2). It also differs from the facial profile and eye of Thutmose IV on the interior proper north
side where he shows the beaked nose type and a more wide-open eye (Fig. 1).

5 F. Larché, ‘Reconstruction of the barque shrine of Thutmosis IV at Karnak’, Egyptian Archaeology 13


(1998), pp. 19–22; Somers Clarke, ‘El-Kab and Its Temples’, JEA 8 (1922), pp. 16–40; B. Bryan in A. Kozloff
and B. Bryan, with L. Berman and E. Delange, Egypt’s Dazzling Sun: Amenhotep III and his World, Cleveland,
1992, pp. 79–82, with discussion of the figural proportions comparing shrine figures with Thutmoside and
Amenhotep III era standing figures; K. Luckner, ‘The Art of Egypt: Part 1’, Museum News, Toledo Museum
of Art, New Series 14/1 (Spring 1971), Fig. 1 (1925.522).
6 F. Larché, Egyptian Archaeology 13 (1998), pp. 19–22; F. Larché, ‘Les constructions axiales thoutmosides
devant le 4e pylône de Karnak’, The Journal of Ancient Egyptian Architecture 1 (2016), pp. 71–80. B. Porter and
R. Moss, J. Málek, Topographical Bibliography of Ancient Egyptian Hieroglyphic Texts, Reliefs, and Paintings
II, (2nd ed.), Oxford, 1972, pp. 71–72.
7 The current south exterior as the shrine was re-erected with its entry door to east, originally to west.
Developing the king’s image 89

These examples can be compared to the proper north exterior where again, in the upper
register, the king is being escorted to Amun, this time by Atum. Once more, he wears the
khepresh headdress, and his profile shows a straight nose; Amenhotep III’s mouth is sharply
carved with a thick upper lip very similar to the south side (Fig. 6). Other faces of the king
on this south exterior have thinner carved lips, and this is true for the face of Amun as well.
Unfortunately, erosion of the alabaster has marred the eyes of the faces of the king and deities
in this escort scene. The king is here identified as Nebmaatre Amenhotep (III), with the nb
sign written beneath the sun disk, rather than at the bottom of the cartouche, as is common
throughout the reign. The scene itself repeats that on the proper south side. On this proper
north side, however, the scene below depicts king Thutmose IV, wearing the lower Egyptian
crown, led by Montu up to Amun. Here the beakish nose shape on the king is prominent,
and the eye was not completely carved, but left to be painted, in the manner referred to as
“sfumato.”8. On both sides of the shrine, a vertical column of text was incised behind the scenes
moving toward the god of Karnak. It is complete on the proper north, but lacks its center
words on the south. The inscription on the north reads (Fig. 4):
[Ist in nTr] nfr nb tAwy nb xaw stp n Imn [nsw bi]ty Nb-mAat-ra mry Imn (space between
registers) snfr mnw n it.f nsw-bity Mn-xprw-ra n mrt rdit wn rn.f mn rwD m pr it.f Imn
“[Now it was] the good [god] lord of the two lands, possessor of crowns, chosen one of
Amun, [king of upper] and lower Egypt, Nebmaatre, beloved of Amun who completed the
monument of his father, the king of upper and lower Egypt Menkheperure in order to cause
that his name might endure, being strong, in the house of his father Amun”.

On the opposite, proper southern side, the slightly different inscription is incomplete, but
does have the missing beginning of this inscription:
Ist in nTr nfr nb tAwy nb irt xt Nb-mAat-ra sA ra n Xt.f (empty space down to head level of
lower register) [snfr mnw n it.f nsw-bity Mn-xprw-ra n] mrt rdit mn rn n it.f m pr Imn r nHH
“Now, it was the good god, lord of the two lands, lord of doing the cult action, Nebmaatre,
son of re of his body [who completed the monument of his father, the king of upper and
lower Egypt Menkhepurure in] order to cause that the name of his father might endure in
the house of Amun forever”.

On this south side, the prenomen shows the name of Nebmaatre written, as is common to
the reign, with the the nb basket beneath the Maat goddess, and the grammar following “in
order that …” differs in the subjunctive/prospective form chosen. This is likely to reflect the
distinction between scribal artisans — and, perhaps the early moment in the reign vis à vis
the spelling of the titulary. The conclusion that we must come to, with respect to the Karnak
shrine, is that the artisans depicted Amenhotep III, the new ruler, in the same manner that
they represented Thutmose IV wearing the khepresh on the south exterior, with a long narrow
eye and thickened lips with a sloping forehead and forward-jutting jaw. The highly narrow
and long eye, long straight nose, and sharp, thickened lips occur only twice for Thutmose IV
and once on the figure of Amenhotep III.

8 The same detail appears on the face of Amun in the upper register at the far end of this exterior north
side. This style is familiar to many from the tomb of the vizier Ramose (TT 55).
90 Betsy Bryan

The Elkab Shrine to the Lady of the Wadi (Ro-Inet)


Early in Amenhotep III’s reign, the Elkab desert processional shrine of Nekhbet, begun by
9
Thutmose IV, was completed. Scenes venerating Thutmose IV’s involvement with the shrine
begin the short walls next to the entrance, where both rulers are shown seated. They are sepa-
rated by a dedication text similar to that on the Karnak alabaster shrine: ist in Hm.n nsw-bity
Nb-mAat-ra snfr mnw.pn n it.f nTr nfr Mn-xprw-ra r nHH Hna Dt, “Now it was the majesty of the
king of upper and lower Egypt, Nebmaatre, who completed this monument for his father, the
10
good god Menkheprure, forever until the end”. Thutmose IV is depicted seated on either
side of the entrance doorway with his son seated in front of the dedication text; both wear the
nemes headdress and have similar, but not identical, facial features. Both have straight nasal
profiles, but Amenhotep III’s is slightly snubbed, or rounded at the tip, as is characteristic for
his depictions during most of the reign (Fig. 7). Adjoining these scenes on the two long walls
are mirrored depictions of Amenhotep III wearing the khepresh, shown consecrating offerings.
Despite the characteristic representations of the king in nearby scenes, both damaged images
display beaked profiles and broad eyelids above the ovoid eyes of the new king (Fig. 8). In
this shrine, it appears that at least some of the representations of Amenhotep III have the
recognizable features of Thutmose IV, with the beaked nose and broad eyelid.
Yet, it is definitely important to note that the depictions of Amenhotep III in the khepresh
on the east end of the shrine show him with the facial features that are entirely typical of his
11
later reign — a short face and narrow eyelid, snubbed nose, and large oversized almond eye.
Further, the seated images of both kings near the entrance appear to distinguish between the
two “portrait” styles by the nose shapes and eye sizes. Measurement of the complete figures
with the two styles of profile revealed two models, the figures with Thutmoside features having
shorter lower legs and longer torso, and the latter a longer lower leg and short torso. All
the figures, however, have longer legs than the general Thutmoside models, which normally
have knees placed lower than 6 grid squares. (See further in the next section). Both figure
types have longer legs than either Thutmoside models elsewhere or the Year 2 relief figure of
12
Amenhotep III. Although the date of the decoration of the Elkab shrine remains unknown,
the evidence suggests that Amenhotep III’s image was entirely determined and deliberately
set alongside that of his father in this context; this is likely to have been later than Year 2 of
Amenhotep’s rule. We should note, however, that the presence of these multiple facial images
13
in a single-roomed shrine indicates respect for both kings’ distinct visages.
14
Tura Quarry Relief of Amenhotep III, Year 2: Toledo Museum of Art 1925.522
The Karnak and Elkab shrines, where Amenhotep III appears and takes responsibility for
the completion of his father’s monuments, present the new ruler with the features of his

9 J. J. Tylor, The temple of Amenhetep III, London, 1898; B. Bryan in Egypt’s Dazzling Sun, pp. 77, 79–82.
Evidence for the proportions of the figures in the shrine is included. See further in the discussion of the
Tura relief of Amenhotep III below.
10 Bryan in Egypt’s Dazzling Sun, p. 81, figure 4.
11 Bryan in Egypt’s Dazzling Sun, p. 81, figures 5–6.
12 Bryan in Egypt’s Dazzling Sun, pp. 81–82, figures 4–6; p. 113 nn 32–36.
13 Note that there are two Hathor face types in the shrine as well, but whether they represent a lengthy
gap in time between decoration is unknown. Bryan, in Egypt’s Dazzling Sun, p. 82.
14 Luckner, Museum News 14, Fig. 1.
Developing the king’s image 91

father Thutmose IV; in the case of Elkab this is alongside profiles with the familiar face of
Amenhotep III. It is, however, already in Year 2 that we can identify a relief “portrait” type
for Amenhotep III that does not mention his father and is therefore his alone (Fig. 9). At
the limestone quarry of Tura the king’s craftsmen carved a two-register scene announcing the
reopening of the quarries under the new ruler. The scenes were still in situ when the Lepsius
mission copied them, as Berman detailed in the catalogue for the exhibition Egypt’s Dazzling
15
Sun: Amenhotep III and his World. The figure of Amenhotep III from this rock-carved stela is
now in the Toledo Museum of Art with the number 1925.522. Berman’s description describes
the presence of stray paint spots on the surface, such that he concluded that the background
16
was yellow, the hieroglyphs blue, and the Hs vases blue.
The striding king, facing left, holds an incense burner in his near hand and pours water
from a triple Hs vessel with his far one. He wears a khepresh crown with streamers at the rear
and a kilt that extends forward at the bottom to suggest a triangular stiff apron on which
hangs a thick sash pendant from the waist belt. The eye on Amenhotep’s Tura stela is nearly
horizontal and is extremely narrow and elongated, and the lid shows a lightly incised line
just above the eyeball. Amenhotep III’s chin and mouth are nearly in line with the bridge
of his nose (Fig. 10).
The Tura image of Amenhotep III displays characteristics that appear in the great majority
of two-dimensional images of this king throughout his reign — an ovoid eye, a straight nose
(often short and rounded enough to be termed “snub”), full upper and lower lips placed verti-
cally beneath the bridge of the nose. The foreheads on Amenhotep III’s profile — and those of
his close associates — were frequently carved or drawn as a separate element from the lower
bridge and nose, although artists also drew a single long profile, which was, however, at a less
acute diagonal angle than with Thutmose IV’s images. The comparison between Amenhotep
III and his father can be seen generally in Karol Myśliewiec’s photographic survey of royal
17
relief in the New Kingdom.
It is quite clear that already in Year 2 Amenhotep III’s artisans had created a visual iden-
tity for the king that included his facial features. Despite the facial portrait distinguishing
Amenhotep III, the bodily proportions of the Tura relief figure compare favorably with the
18
more Thutmoside body type seen on Thutmose IV at Karnak. The height of the knee is at 5.7
15 L. Berman in Kozloff and Bryan, Egypt’s Dazzling Sun, pp. 116–117.
16 My own examination of the relief in Toledo identified blue on the khepresh, the lotus, bracelets, and
on the skirt as well. Faint red can be seen on the near arm, and, as Berman noted, Daressy reported that the
god in front of the king had blue paint on his skin, suggesting the god Amun. Berman, Egypt’s Dazzling Sun,
p. 117. It should be added, however, that the beginning of blue painted Amun figures post-dates the reign
of Amenhotep III, so this would indicate that the stela had been retouched post-Amarna. I wish to thank
Dr Andrea Gardner, Museum Registrar, for her assistance during my visit to the Toledo Museum of Art.
17 K. Myśliwiec, Le portrait royal dans le bas-relief du nouvel empire, Warsaw, 1976, Figs 111–156.
18 For Toledo Museum of Art 1925.522, overall height of figure is 75 cm; to hairline 66 cm. [7 cm recon-
structed below ankle]. For bottom of foot to hairline, the top of the knee is 5.72 squares; the bottom of the
buttock is 9.4 squares. Bryan, Egypt’s Dazzling Sun, pp. 113–114 nn. 52–55, where the proportions of several
Luxor Temple figure types were detailed. Those at the far south, the sanctuaries, have the shortest height
of knee at 6 squares, while the bark chapel has some royal figures with very long lower legs, more than 6.5
squares in a number of cases. Generally, the proportions of Amenhotep III’s body show an increasingly
higher waist with shorter torso in the late reign. Frequently, as at Luxor Temple, this also includes a longer
lower leg and a very high buttock resulting from the lengthening. However, the same visual effect was
achieved by the shortened torso and high waist, even when the top of the knee remained around 6 squares.
92 Betsy Bryan

squares on the Tura relief; Thutmose IV’s knee on the Karnak court reliefs varied between 5.7
and 6, while at Elkab, the legs of the king varied between 6.2 and 6.5, a length found on other
temple reliefs of Amenhotep III, such as at Luxor Temple. The change in Amenhotep III’s
bodily proportions had definitely occurred by the time that the Elkab shrine was decorated
and when the rear rooms of the Luxor Temple were carved. However, the specific dates of
19
those projects are unknown.

Thutmose IV Amenhotep III

Vertical line from brow to bridge more common


Brow slopes diagonally to the bridge of nose
except in khepresh

Mouth and/or jaw is largely set forward of nose Mouth and/or jaw is largely set beneath and behind
bridge (prognathous) nose bridge, not forward

Ovoid eye which can be oblique when king wears


Ovoid eye which is often set obliquely
khepresh

Upper eyelid is broad space Upper eyelid is not broad

No lid line on the upper eyelid Lid line above eye

Beaked or straight nose Straight and/or snubbed nose

No lip line on the mouth Lip line on the mouth

Thickness of upper and lower lips generally the


Thickness of upper lip greater than lower
same

Table 1 · Comparison of Thutmose IV and Amenhotep III based on the images discussed.

Conclusions on the Emergence of the representation of Amenhotep III


Amenhotep III’s Tura relief of Year 2 is the earliest image of the king that does not come from
a monument also depicting his father Thutmose IV. It is a benchmark for the representation
20
of the king and shows the characteristics of the king’s “portrait” throughout his reign. If the
faces of Thutmose IV and early images of Amenhotep III wearing the khepresh are compared
in the chronological order in which they were produced, the Tura image is easily distinguished

19 Despite attempts to assign general dates to changes in relief styles during the reign, the dating is
artificial and somewhat mechanical in its application based on the architectural stages of the Luxor Temple.
W. R. Johnson, ‘Images of Amenhotep III in Thebes: styles and intentions’, in L. Berman (ed.), The art
of Amenhotep III: art historical analysis. Papers presented at the international symposium held at the Cleveland
Museum of Art, Cleveland, Ohio, 20–21 November 1987, Cleveland, 1990, pp. 26–46; compare the critique
in Bryan, Egypt’s Dazzling Sun, pp. 82–90. We do not know when that temple was begun or when the
hypostyle hall and open court were added and decorated, or finally when the colonnade was added in front.
Assignment to different decades was only anchored to the final eight years of the rule during which there
are a number of dated Theban monuments for Amenhotep III. The flexibility of the Theban craftsmen in
producing varied styles has already been alluded to above. Stylistic elements can be chronological markers
or evidence of the artisan crews at work.
20 Myśliwiec, Le portrait royal, Figs 111–156.
Developing the king’s image 93
21
from those of Thutmose IV. This order will be Fig. 3, 1, 2, 5, 6, 11 compared to Fig. 10. The
first difference is visible on Amenhotep III’s crown which does not show the curled body
of the uraeus cobra above the forehead. Further, the two-dimensional faces of Thutmose IV
display a broad eyelid area and sloping diagonal profile from the brow to the bridge of nose,
while Amenhotep III’s Tura depiction shows a narrower eyelid and vertical line from brow
to bridge. (This is also visible on the Elkab image of Amenhotep III with his father’s profile,
Fig. 8). The most similar Thutmose IV facial profile to that of Amenhotep III’s Tura relief is
from the limestone fragmentary sphinx stela found at Giza by Selim Hassan, which shows a
22
similar shaped crown, width of eyelid, and short chin (Fig. 11). Even on this Giza example,
however, Thutmose’s brow slopes diagonally to the bridge of nose, although it is more vertical
than most examples. Amenhotep III’s profile, as early as the decoration of the rear rooms of
Luxor Temple, could depict a sloping forehead, but it never included the heavy lower mouth
and jaw as seen on Thutmose IV’s latest “portraits” in his tomb, KV 43 (Fig. 12).
Based on the limited relief representations of Amenhotep III from early in his reign, his
characteristic facial features emerged out of late stylistic features of Thutmose IV’s depic-
tions, but were distinguished from the father already in Year 2. Although there are far from
a sufficient number of examples to be certain, it may be that the “portrait” of Amenhotep III,
as summarized above, originated in the north of Egypt where the Tura quarry was located.
The Giza stela facial profile of Thutmose IV shows the nose and chin features of Amenhotep
III and, coupled with the Tura relief, suggest that the young king’s face was first defined near
the Memphis palace.

II. The facial profiles in painted Theban Tombs of the early reign of Amenhotep III
The application of the visual identity discussed above to painted plaster environments is not
a direct process, largely due to two basic elements that diminish the evidence base: first, the
sadly frequent mutilation of facial features on painted ruler figures was nearly complete in the
case of Thutmose IV and early Amenhotep III in Theban tombs. The primary tomb owner
figures suffered nearly as much, both types being the likely victims of their visual priority on
23
focal walls. These painted figures were created with care, which included the use of gridded
24
walls to guide and encourage the depiction of models at any scale. In the reigns of Thut-
mose IV and Amenhotep III artisans used grids far less often in scenes that did not include
large-scaled figures of the ruler or tomb owners. The gridless scenes were finished by artists
with free-handed interpretations of the current facial identities, and these profiles often varied

21 L. Berman, ‘Amenhotep III Offering Incense’, in Egypt’s Dazzling Sun, pp. 116–117, with nn. 1–4.
22 S. Hassan, The Great Sphinx and its Secrets: Historical Studies in the Light of Excavations, Excavations
at Giza VIII, 1936–37, Cairo, 1953, p. 34, fig. 17; A. Osman and G. Omar, ‘Fragments of an assumed Dream
Stela of Thutmosis IV from Giza’, Egyptian Journal of Archaeological and Restoration Studies 7 (2017), pp.
39–44. The lost Selim Hassan materials were refound in 2011 and have been moved to safety. There is no
museum acquisition number for the stela, however.
23 M. Hartwig, Tomb Painting and Identity in Ancient Thebes, 1419–1372 BCE, Monumenta Aegyptiaca
IX, Brepols, 2004, pp. 131–137.
24 G. Robins, Proportion and style in ancient Egyptian art, London,1994; M. Kołodko-Dolińska,
‘Remarques sur les proportions de la figure humaine dans la décoration du temple de Thoutmosis III à
Deir el-Bahari’, Études et Travaux 16, (1992), pp. 53–56.
94 Betsy Bryan
25
from the more formal gridded paintings and the sculpted reliefs of temples and tombs. This
artistic factor complicates the identification of intentional facial features in painting at the
onset of Amenhotep III’s rule, and here only tombs that contain the names of both Thutmose
IV and Amenhotep III will be utilized to seek the newly created facial type described above.
At least since the time of Max Wegner, the dating of Theban tomb decoration to a tran-
sition period between the reigns of Thutmose IV and Amenhotep III has been utilized by
26
many scholars, including the author and, more recently, Melinda Hartwig. Utilizing the
criteria discussed above, it is possible to look at the transition tombs where both Thutmose
IV and Amenhotep III are known to be associated with the tomb owner to seek indications
of Amenhotep’s new “portrait” as described in the previous section. This approach, however,
relies on the use of facial features which are, sadly, often damaged.

Tombs with the names of both rulers: TT 78, TT 90 and TT 91


(1) TT 90
27
In TT 78 and 90 the royal kiosk scenes depicted only Thutmose IV. Hartwig’s transitional
tombs are identified on the basis of small details, such as the pouchy waistlines of male figures
from the reign of Thutmose IV, because these painted tombs have been so heavily mutilated
over the centuries. Attacks on tomb walls were most often aimed at human faces, making
facial details difficult to use in dating assessments. The only mention of Amenhotep III in
TT 90 appears in the decoration of the north end of the focal wall, where Nebamun offers
before a chapel. The building’s jambs identify “the good god Nebmaatre, given life, beloved
of Amun-Re, lord of the sky, the son of Re, Amenhotep, ruler of Thebes, given life, beloved
of Amun-Re, lord of the sky.”
Although large-scaled figures in the tomb do not provide facial profiles for comparison,
there are numerous lesser ones whose faces can be studied. The recognizable sloping brow and
prognathous lower face are identifiable in nearly every scene. On both the west wall north and
28
south are processions of figures with these profiles. The only clearly identifiable example of
a profile that has both a vertical brow line and a jaw beneath and behind the nose bridge is
the offerer in front of the shrine bearing Amenhotep III’s name (Fig. 13). It can be compared
with other figures on the left focal wall who show the normal profile of Thutmose IV 29 (Fig
14). The decoration of Nebamun’s tomb chapel reflected his long career as a standard-bearer
on royal ships and his promotion to Chief of Police in West Thebes in Thutmose IV’s 6th

25 Much relief on stelae, etc., was also done without gridding, but it is rarer in temples. Good exam-
ples of royal stelae without gridding are the Giza stelae of Thutmose IV that show two facial types and
were rather sloppily incised. Hassan, The Great Sphinx, pls XLI–XLIX; B. Bryan, The Reign of Thutmose IV,
Baltimore, 1991, pp. 150–152, with description of types.
26 M. Wegner, ‘Die Stilentwickelung der thebanischen Beamtengräber’, MDAIK 4 (1933), pp. 38–164;
Bryan, The Reign of Thutmose IV, pp. 300–303 and nn. 384–405; Hartwig, Tomb Painting and Identity, pp.
131–137, particularly p. 132. She dates fourteen tombs to the transitional period, identifying Theban tombs
38, 52, 69, 78, 90, 91, 108, 151, 165, 175, 201, 239, 253, and 258, with documentation for her assignments given.
She has since indicated that the tomb of Menna belongs in the reign of Amenhotep III.
27 Ar. Brack and An. Brack, Das Grab des Haremhab. Theben Nr. 78, AV 35, Mainz, 1980; N. De Garis
Davies, The Tombs of Two Officials of Thutmosis IV (nos. 75 and 90), London, 1923.
28 Davies, Tombs of Two Officials, pls xxvii–xxviii.
29 Davies, Tombs of Two Officials, pl. xxxiii.
Developing the king’s image 95

regnal year. Yet, at least one scene indicates, by both text and facial features, that the tomb
was painted in the first year or two of the reign of Amenhotep III, while otherwise being
stylistically of the reign of Thutmose IV. This finding is compatible with the utilization of two
rulers’ visual identities at the Elkab shrine where the characteristic faces of both Thutmose IV
and Amenhotep III were employed.

(2) TT 78
The kiosk scenes in TT 78 of Haremhab name Thutmose IV on his front room focal wall. The
name of Amenhotep III appears three times on the south wall of the inner hall, but not in the
transverse front room where the king appears along with the family banqueting scenes. On
the south wall of the hall on the far west end is a scene of the ka of Thutmose III in a kiosk
behind the sons of Horus and the goddess of the West. These divine judges are joined by the
cartouches of Thutmose III, Amenhotep II, Thutmose IV, and Amenhotep III, and all are
ready to witness the weighing of Haremhab’s heart just to the east (Figs. 15 & 18). Haremhab
here states that he followed the four rulers represented by the cartouches above, only Amen-
30
hotep III being identified by both prenomen and nomen, marking him as the primary king.
All three instances of the newer ruler’s names occur on the south wall, and the layout of
the weighing scene required that Amenhotep III’s inclusion was planned from the outset. The
preserved facial features of figures on the south wall have the characteristics of Amenhotep
III’s face across registers with processional figures (Fig. 16). Thutmose IV’s prognathous profile
dominates in the Opening of the Mouth scenes on the room’s north wall (Fig. 17). Yet, the
facial styles suggest that the same outline artists likely worked in scenes in the front and rear
rooms, as the musician’s face in the middle register north east wall scene can attest (Figs 18–19).
Yet, despite the similar free hand profile with thin lips and nearly cartoonish drawing, the
nubbly chin and pursing mouth of the lutist push slightly forward, while the examples on the
south wall of the hall show the same outlining with the mouth staying beneath and behind
the bridge of the nose (Figs 18, 16, 19). This is consistent, so is likely not pure coincidence. The
length of time separating the decoration of the transverse hall and the south wall of the hall
is unknown, but it would appear that the difference between the “portrait” introduced for
Amenhotep III was respected in the scenes painted on a wall bearing his name.

(3) TT 91
The name of the owner of TT 91 remains unknown. In this tomb both Thutmose IV and
Amenhotep III were represented in the two kiosk scenes on the focal walls (Figs 1 & 2).
Unfortunately, the cartouches of Amenhotep III have been lost since Champollion carefully
31
copied them and published a detailed description of the scene. One unusual aspect in TT
91 is the presence of the goddess Hathor outside the kiosk offering her menat necklace to the
kings in both instances. The presence of the goddess facing the ruler from outside the kiosk
is not attested in other kiosk scenes, but here is Champollion’s comment: “[S]ur la paroi de
gauche de la 2e porte, est le roi nTr nfr Nb-mAat-ra Imn-Htp HqA WAst assis sur un trône, dans
un riche Naos, la déesse Hathor, debout vers la porte, lui montré son collier de vache et lui

30 Brack and Brack, Haremheb, pl. 65A.


31 J. F. Champollion, Monuments de l’Egypte et de la Nubie. Notices Descriptives I, Conformes aux Manu-
scrits Autographes Redigés sur les Lieux par Champollion le Jeune, Paris, 1844, p. 498. Hartwig, Tomb Painting
and Identity, p. 134 n. 35.
96 Betsy Bryan

32
presenté en même temps le signe de la anx ”. Because of the damage here, we cannot know
with certainty whether both kings’ names were present from the original decoration scheme, or
whether, as with TT 116, the name of a recently deceased ruler was overpainted with that of the
33
new one. The decoration of TT 91 was not entirely finished, but there was not a significant
34
amount of work left to accomplish. The damage to the scenes is, however, profound, making
it impossible to determine whether, as in TT 78, the elements of the profile of Amenhotep III
were present on figures on the wall with his kiosk scene. Despite the presence of two kings’
names, there is a stylistic cohesion to all the scenes in TT 91 as described by Hartwig and
Kozloff. Hartwig characterized this group of tombs as belonging “… to officials of the civil,
35
military, palace, or regional administrations who together comprised the ‘state class’”. The
homogeneous style increases the likelihood that the tomb’s decoration was achieved while
Thutmose IV was king, particularly in light of the distinctive line painting, such as on the
copiously robed and bald-headed foreign leaders, to similarly conceived figures in the food
distribution scene of TT 78.

(4) TT 201
TT 201 of Re belongs to a man whose career spanned the rules of both Thutmose IV and
36
Amenhotep III. Unfortunately this tomb is very poorly preserved, although a number of
37
objects belonging to Re were recovered. What is not possible to say is whether there is any
reason to date this tomb other than to the reign of Amenhotep III. Hartwig assigns this
painting to her state class grouping, which would accord well with Re’s roles as first royal
38
herald and granary overseer. Only one scene appears to preserve the name of Amenhotep
III, and this is a partial small register of soldiers with a standard apparently naming Amen-
hotep (Fig. 20). Although only a few unmutilated soldier profiles remain, they are represented
with bowed heads, and their foreheads have vertical orientations to their nose bridges. Their
mouths and chins recede slightly beneath the noses. These are the features that distinguish
Amenhotep III from Thutmose IV and that appeared also in TT 78 and TT 90 on the walls
naming the newer king. Although it is by no means conclusive, because there are no large
scaled figures with which to check this observation, it does appear that there is consistency

32 Champollion, Notices Descriptives I, 498. I have replaced the drawn cartouches with a transliteration.
33 Bryan, The Reign of Thutmose IV, p. 302.
34 PM I2 1, pp. 185–187.
35 Hartwig, Tomb Painting and Identity, p. 132.
36 The decoration of TT 201 extended into the early years of Amenhotep III based on the appearance
of a king’s cartouche on a standard on PM at (9), Bryan, The Reign of Thutmose IV, pp. 248–249, with dis-
cussion of titles of Re on tomb objects not known from his texts associated with Thutmose IV. S. Redford
and D. Redford, Re‘a (TT 201), p. 28, doubt the date to Amenhotep III; A. Radwan, Die Darstellungen des
regierenden Konigs und seiner Familienangehorigen in den Privatgrabern der 18. Dynastie, MÄS 21, Berlin
1969, p. 38, confirms the cartouche. Sakurai, Kondo et als., Comparative Studies, pl. 94.1, shows a cartouche,
blurrily. See also Wegner, op. cit., p. 129, Amenhotep III date; Hartwig, Tomb Painting and Identity, p. 135.
37 Model coffin and shabti, CG 48483, P. Newberry, Funerary Statuettes and Model Sarcophagi, troisième
fascicule: nos 48274–48575, Catalogue général des antiquités égyptiennes du Musée du Caire, Cairo, 1957, pp.
369–73, pls 29–30. Limestone coffin, 31 cm long, black stone statuette, 25.4 cm long. Very fine quality. Bryan,
The Reign of Thutmose IV, pp. 248–49, 263, nn. 62, 169 respectively, with citations for objects and funerary cones.
38 Hartwig, Tomb Painting and Identity, p. 134 and n. 40.
Developing the king’s image 97

in three of the four tombs that belong to officials known to have functioned across the reigns
of Thutmose IV and Amenhotep III.

Conclusion
The limited visual materials representing the first years of Amenhotep III’s reign do offer a
glimpse of the formation of his “portrait” type that was reproduced so often over his nearly
thirty-nine years of reign. It can be traced emerging on monuments completed for Amenho-
tep’s father Thutmose IV at Karnak and Elkab, and its appearance on a dated royal relief is
known from the king’s second year deriving from the Tura limestone quarry. This relief, now
in the Toledo Museum, represents a distinct formal early “portrait” of Amenhotep III. Some
indications suggest that the straight nose shape and short horizontal chin on the emergent
profile has its closest connections to northern portrayals of Thutmose IV at Giza. Thutmose
had both beak- and straight-nosed profiles, but consistently had sloping forehead and slightly
prognathous mouth and chin. On the Karnak bark chapel, completed by Amenhotep III for
Thutmose IV, these features dominate, even where Amenhotep III’s name is present, while
at Elkab the beak-shaped nose of Thutmose IV was twice represented for Amenhotep III
alongside the new king’s profile.
The tombs of Haremhab (TT 78) and Nebamun (TT 90) predominantly depict the face
of Thutmose IV, particularly as displayed by the prognathous lower jaw. Yet in both cases
the walls that contain the name of Amenhotep III represent figures with the facial elements
associated with Amenhotep III. TT 91 contained a kiosk scene with Amenhotep III mirroring
one of Thutmose IV. The preserved scenes of the tomb do not, however, include any facial
features that parallel those in TT 78 and TT 90; the pervasive mutilation may be a factor in
this. Finally, the tomb of royal herald Re, TT 201, may have been decorated wholly in the reign
of Amenhotep III. The facial profile consistent with the new king’s features appears on three
figures on the right focal wall next to a standard bearing an Amenhotep cartouche. Despite
the small number of monuments to study early in the reign of Amenhotep III, the appearance
of a distinctive “portrait” existed for the new king on his sole monuments from at least Year 2
and perhaps before. The incomplete monuments begun under Thutmose IV, to which Amen-
hotep III was added, depict characteristics of both rulers that suggest the following pattern:
▷ Karnak bark shrine was completed in the style of Thutmose IV but adding the new
king for its dedication;
▷ TT 91 may have been complete but added only the name of Amenhotep III on one
kiosk scene;
▷ TT 78 and TT 90 were nearly completed during Thutmose IV’s reign, but both contain
scenes naming Amenhotep III and figures displaying his emergent profile;
▷ The Elkab shrine was primarily in the reign of Amenhotep III, but bore a dedication to
Thutmose IV in whose reign it may have been built but not decorated. Facial profiles
associated with the father appear twice for figures of Amenhotep III and may have
intentionally alluded to the former king;
▷ TT 201 currently preserves one Amenhotep cartouche on a standard among soldiers
with the profiles of the new king;
▷ The Tura relief of Year 2 represents a fully created “portrait” of Amenhotep III;
98 Betsy Bryan

▷ The material that we can examine suggests that all of the monuments discussed above
date to years 1 and 2, and the characteristic facial type of Amenhotep III may be sought
39
as a dating criterion to clarify the “transition” tombs.

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39 See note 21 above.


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sity Press.
Fig. 1 · Thutmose IV profile in the khepresh Fig. 2 · Thutmose IV profile in the khepresh
from interior north wall of his Egyptian al- from exterior south wall, lower register, of
abaster shrine at Karnak. Note beaked nose Egyptian alabaster shrine at Karnak. Note
type which alternates with straight version. straight now and narrower eye than in Fig. 1.
Author photograph. Author photograph.

Fig. 3 · Thutmose IV profile in the khepresh Fig. 5 · Thutmose IV profile in the khepresh
from his over life-sized figure on the sand- from exterior south wall, upper register, of
stone peristyle court at Karnak. Compare Egyptian alabaster shrine at Karnak. Note
nose to Fig. 1. Author photograph. straight now and narrow eye. Compare to
Amenhotep III in Fig. 6. Author photo-
graph.
Fig. 4 · North exterior, west end, of Thutmose IV Egyptian alabaster shrine at Karnak.
Right vertical text of Amenhotep III’s completion dedication of the monument. Upper
register Amenhotep led before Amun-Re. Lower register, Thutmose IV in red crown led by
Montu. Author photograph.
Fig. 6 · Amenhotep III profile of lower face Fig. 7 · Amenhotep III profile from seated fig-
from exterior north wall, upper register, of ure on west wall north of doorway at Elkab
Egyptian alabaster shrine at Karnak. Note shrine of Nekhbet, goddess of Ro-Inet. Note
straight nose and sharp lip shape, with lower snubbed nose shape characteristic of Amen-
jaw and mouth pushed forward. Author pho- hotep III through much of his reign. Author
tograph. photograph.

Fig. 8 · Amenhotep III with beaked nose profile Fig. 10 · Detail of Toledo Museum of Art
typical of Thutmose IV on west end of north 1925.522. Facial profile of Amenhotep III in
wall at Elkab shrine of Nekhbet. Note broad Year 2. Note narrow elongate eye, straight
upper eye lid and natural shaped eye, rather nose, thickened (but obscured) mouth, short
than ovoid shape as seen on Fig. 7. Author pho- and slightly receded chin, narrowed forehead
tograph. and eye lid. Author photograph, Courtesy of
Toledo Museum of Art.
Fig. 9 · Toledo Museum of Art
1925.522. Portion of Year 2 quarry
stela of Amenhotep III at Tura.
Author photograph, Courtesy of
Toledo Museum of Art. Lime-
stone. Ht. overall 81 cm.

Fig. 11 · Detail of Giza stela of Thutmose IV Fig. 12 · Detail of profile of Thutmose IV from
after Hassan, The Great Sphinx, fig. 17. Out of KV 43. Author photograph.
copyright.*

* Egyptian Commons.[3] Law No. 82 of 2002 repealed Law #354 of 1954. “The author’s economic rights are protected
throughout the lifetime of the author and for 50 years from the date of his death.” Selim Hassan died 1961.
Fig. 13 · Detail of offerer before chapel bearing name of Amenhotep III, Theban tomb 90 of Neba-
mun. Photograph courtesy of Melinda Hartwig.

Fig. 14 · Procession of soldiers from


Theban tomb 90, west wall south.
Author photograph.

Fig. 15 · Theban tomb 78


of Haremhab, rear hall
south wall. Kiosk scene
with Ka of Thutmose III
with features of Amen-
hotep III, including over-
sized ovoid eye, straight
nose, and thin cartoonish
mouth and chin set be-
neath and behind bridge
of nose. Author photo-
graph.
Fig. 16 · Theban tomb 78 of Haremhab, detail Fig. 17 · Theban tomb 78 of Haremhab, de-
from rear hall south wall where items bearing tail from rear hall north wall, Opening of
name of Amenhotep III are brought for the the Mouth ritual. Features of mummies and
burial. Features of canopic jar lids and mummy priests are those of Thutmose IV, with low-
mask have the eye, nose, and jaw of Amenhotep er jaws pushed forward. One mummy with
III, rather than the prognathous lower face of beaked nose profile. (Scene has been dam-
Thutmose IV. (This has been damaged since aged since 1980 and cannot be retaken). Pho-
1980 and cannot be retaken). Compare Fig. 17. to after Brack & Brack, pl. 68b.
Photo after Brack & Brack, pl. 61c. .

Fig. 18 · Detail of Ka of Thutmose III from


scene in Fig. 15. Features of Amenhotep III.
Author photograph. Author photograph.

Fig. 19 · Detail of profile of lutist, Theban


Fig. 20 · Detail of soldiers in Theban tomb 201 tomb 78 of Haremhab. Front hall, east wall,
of Re. Standard of Amenhotep III visible be- north.
hind them. They have the profiles of Amenho-
tep III, with over sized ovoid eyes, snub noses,
and receding chins. Photograph after S. Sakurai,
J. Kondo & S. Yoshimura. Comparative studies of
noble tombs, pl. 94.1.

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