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Statue of Ramesses II between Amun and Mut

Museo Egizio, Turin

This statue group shows Ramesses II seated between Amun, king of the gods, and his consort Mut, the two principal deities of Thebes. Placing the king at the same scale as the gods, in the middle of the divine family, emphasizes Ramesses' claim to be the son and chosen one of Amun.

Groups of this kind were set up in temples such as Karnak, where they proclaimed the king's piety and his place among the gods for all time.


Polycam
19th Dynasty (c. 1279-1213 BCE)
Museo Egizio, Turin
Granite
Karnak, Thebes, Egypt
Sculpture