Statuette of King Cheops in the

Statuette of Cheops
This statuette belongs to King Cheops the owner of the great pyramid at Giza plateau. It is made out of ivory, it is about 7.5 cm in height, it was discovered in 1903 by sir Flinders Petrie in the temple of Khenti Imnti at Abydos. This statuette is the only statue of Cheops that had come to light. Although we all know that Cheops dates back to the 4th dynasty, but we have some confusions concerning the dating of the statuette. Petrie the excavator of the statuette immediately dated the statuette to the 4th dynasty after the name inscribed on the throne, but Dr. Zahi Hawass disagreed with the dating as he believes that this statuette dates back to the 26th dynasty, ie was carved on the 26th dynasty on the basis of different archaeological evidence.
The artistic conventions
After, Dr. Zahi Hawass, made a comparison between the statuette and other examples of art work that dates back to the 4th dynasty like that of Mycerinus which is made out of ivory and which is closest in type to the statuette of Cheops he came out to two main points.
1) The imagine of Khufu (Cheops) shows no sign of careful work man ship, so he said that maybe it is a work of artisan rather than an artist.
2) In contrast, the statue of Mycerinus is finely craved although the head is missed, but concerning the details of the body they were well done together with kilt.
And since there only 38 years between the reign of Cheops and Mycerinus, so it isn't logic to say that the artist style has been changed in such a short time.
The statuette of Mycerinus is twice the height that of Cheops and it was found in this complex at Giza by Resiner and it is now on display in Boston museum.

Answering the two previous opinions we could say that maybe the statuette of Cheops was representing the local art, while that of Mycerinus was representing the royal art, so we can't compare between them, since everyone of them is representing different art. Moreover the head of the statue of Mycerinus is broken, SO the comparison wouldn't be compete.

Another point, concerning the artistic convention, that Zahi Hawass mentioned is the throne, as he said that while comparing Cheops' throne and the other thrones of the old kingdom's thrones had a high back, while Khufu's throne has a low back. But we can answer him by saying that this isn't true, because we have many other examples in the old kingdom with low backs

We have another weak point that was mentioned to prove that the statuette dates back to the 26th dynasty, this point was the using of ivory that wasn't widely used during the old kingdom because of its few sources, on the other hand it was widely spread during the 26th dynasty as it was brought from different areas, but here we have a very easy answer since the statue of Mycerinus which dates back to the 4th dynasty is made out of ivory.
Finally it was said that the unfinished state of the feet proves that this statue wasn't dating to the 4th dynasty since during that time Cheops was considered as divine god, so carving the feet were broken during the excavation.
Other evidence was mentioned proving that this statuette dates back to the 26th dynasty as: Cheops was worshipped as a god during the 26th dynasty and his cult was very important and his name was used on scarab amulets.
The great pyramid was re-opened during the 26th dynasty.
This statuette could be considered as an amulet and ivory was widely spread in the manufacture of amulets during the 26th dynasty.

The cartouche carved upon the left side of the throne is completely broken, if the king's Hours name wasn't preserved upon the right side of the throne, one might never guessed that this diminutive sculpture depicts the owner of the great pyramid.
I'm Muhamed Amien, an experienced Egyptian private tour guide passionate about showcasing the wonders of Egypt. Join me as I guide you through the hidden gems and iconic landmarks, including the pyramids of Giza, the temples of Luxor, the serene beauty of the Nile, and much more. My aim is to offer authentic and detailed insights into Egypt's history, culture, and breathtaking landscapes. Whether you're planning a visit or just curious about this ancient land, my videos will provide you with everything you need to explore Egypt. Subscribe for
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