Head of a Sphinx Sesostris' III.

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Head of a Sphinx Sesostris' III.
Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna June 2006 006.jpg
material Green slate
Dimensions H. 21.9 cm; W. 33.2 cm; T. 32.1 cm;
origin unknown
time Middle Kingdom , Dynasty 12 , around 1850 BC Chr.
place Vienna , Kunsthistorisches Museum , KHM 5813

The head of a Sphinx Sesostris' III. is in the Egyptian-Oriental Collection of the Kunsthistorisches Museum (KHM) in Vienna . Although there is no inscription whatsoever about who the sculpture represents, it can be clearly identified by Sesostris III's portrait- similarity with inscribed images and stylistic features . assign to an ancient Egyptian pharaoh of the 12th dynasty of the Middle Kingdom . The irregular break on the underside of the Nemes headscarf and its shape tapering far back indicate that it is not the head of a human-shaped statue , but that of a sphinx : “The massive design of the headscarf, the far back expansive, would in no way be conceivable as a continuation and crowning of human shoulders, while it goes harmoniously with a strong lion's body. "

The reign of Sesostris III. formed a political climax within the period of the Middle Kingdom. He undertook at least one advance to Palestine in the area of Shechem and at least four campaigns to Nubia , in which he secured the Egyptian rule up to the 2nd cataract . Domestically, he succeeded in eliminating the long-time powerful provincial nobility. After the fall of the Old Kingdom and the associated creeping loss of the divine dignity of the king, a new kingship was able to establish itself after the first interim period : “The concept of states now looks significantly different than at the zenith of the Old Kingdom. The king has human features throughout; his office is glorious but arduous and fraught with danger. He needs great wisdom and energy to use his own power to advantage. ”This is how Dietrich Wildung sees the royal sculpture of Sesostris III. as an expression of this relationship of domination: "Considered from the overall situation of the time of the 12th dynasty, the alleged tragedy and melancholy of these rulers, as it was read time and again from statues , is reversed into power-political determination and unclouded self-confidence."

The portrait shows a broad man's head with deep-set eyes, heavy lids, wrinkles under the eyes, slightly drawn-in temples and a slightly bulging forehead under the heavy, striped king's headscarf. Even the anatomical structure of the skeleton, muscles and skin are accurately reproduced. According to Helmut Satzinger , the portrait undoubtedly reflects the personal features of the king and thus reflects a realism characteristic of this period. "The strong muscles on the sides of the straight, serious mouth, combined with the massive chin, give it an almost brutal expression."

literature

  • Wilfried Seipel : Sphinx head of King Sesostris III. In: Pictures for Eternity. 3000 years of Egyptian art . Stadler, Konstanz 1983, ISBN 3-7977-0105-5 , p. 96–97 (catalog for the exhibition in Heidelberg Castle from June 2 to August 28, 1983).
  • Helmut Satzinger : Egyptian Art in Vienna. Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna 1980, ISBN 3-900325-03-0 .
  • Helmut Satzinger, Jürgen Liepe: The Art History Museum in Vienna. The Egyptian-Oriental Collection (= Ancient World. Special 1994; Zabern's illustrated books on archeology. Vol. 14). von Zabern, Mainz 1994, ISBN 3-8053-1600-3 .
  • Wilfried Seipel: Sphinx head of King Sesostris III. In: God, Man, Pharaoh. Four thousand years of human image in the sculpture of ancient Egypt . Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna 1992, ISBN 3-900325-22-7 , p. 162–164 (catalog for the exhibition in the Künstlerhaus from May 25 to October 4, 1992).

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ H. Satzinger: The Art History Museum in Vienna. The Egyptian-Oriental Collection. In: Ancient World. 1994, pp. 81-82.
  2. ^ Thomas Schneider: Lexicon of the Pharaohs. Albatros, Düsseldorf 2002, ISBN 3-491-96053-3 , p. 268.
  3. ^ H. Satzinger: Egyptian Art in Vienna. Vienna 1980, p. 19.
  4. ^ Thomas Schneider: Lexicon of the Pharaohs. Düsseldorf 2000, pp. 268–269, cited: Dietrich Wildung: Sesostris and Amenemhet 1984.
  5. ↑ Helmut Satzinger: The Art History Museum in Vienna. The Egyptian-Oriental Collection. In: Ancient World. 1994, p. 81.