This is a fragment of a statue ๐๐ ฑ๐๐พ that once depicted the pharaoh ๐๐ป Khafre ๐ณ๐๐. Khafre ๐ณ๐๐ ruled during the 4th Dynasty and was the son ๐ ญ of the pharaoh ๐๐ป Khufu ๐๐ ฑ๐๐ ฑ. Most people think that Khafre ๐ณ๐๐ directly succeeded Khufu ๐๐ ฑ๐๐ ฑ, but actually Khafreโs ๐ณ๐๐ brother, Rajedef ๐ณ๐ฝ๐ ruled ๐พ๐๐ for about eight years in between the two.ย

Khafre ๐ณ๐๐ is most famous for building one of the pyramids ๐๐ ๐๐ด๐ฆ at Giza, and he built it just south ๐๐ ฑ๐ of his fatherโs ๐๐๐ Great Pyramid ๐๐ ๐๐ด. Khafre ๐ณ๐๐ also commissioned the construction of the Great Sphinx ๐๐ ฑ๐ญ๐ค and a large temple ๐๐๐ complex.ย Khafre’s ๐ณ๐๐ pyramid ๐๐ ๐๐ด is the second largest, his father ๐๐๐ Khufu’s ๐๐ ฑ๐๐ ฑ being the larger pyramid ๐๐ ๐๐ด.
This statue ๐๐ ฑ๐๐พ fragment was found at Giza near Khafreโs ๐ณ๐๐ temple ๐๐๐ complex. Egyptologists have identified this fragment as belonging to Khafre ๐ณ๐๐ not just due to the location in which it was found, but also itโs similarities to other statues ๐๐ ฑ๐๐พ๐ช of the pharaoh ๐๐ป.ย Other statues ๐๐ ฑ๐๐พ๐ช of Khafre ๐ณ๐๐ contain his name ๐๐ in a cartouche ๐ ๐๐๐ท, so it is pretty easy to know that those statues ๐๐ ฑ๐๐พ๐ช depict him!
Khafreโs ๐ณ๐๐ name ๐๐ translates to โHe appears as Re.โ However, sometimes in the Old Kingdom, โRe ๐ณโ was both pronounced and written first ๐, so his name ๐๐ might have been โRakhafโ which translates to โRa is his Appearance,โ which also makes sense!ย I guess we will never know which way was correct!
Letโs break down the hieroglyphs ๐น๐๐ช!
๐ณ – Re
๐ – Appears
๐ – He/His