This beautiful 𓄤𓆑𓂋 gneiss statue 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾 is called “King Sahure Accompanied by a Divine Figure” and is on display at the MET!
This is the only statue 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾 of the 5th Dynasty pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 Sahure 𓇳𓃃𓅱 that exists – all other representations are on reliefs. We know that this is 𓇳𓃃𓅱 because his cartouches appear on the right side of the statue 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾! Sahure 𓇳𓃃𓅱 is wearing the nemes 𓈖𓅓𓋴 headcloth and the false beard 𓐍𓃀𓊃𓅱𓏏𓁸 which is the usual fashion worn by the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻!
The “divine figure” that is standing next to Sahure 𓇳𓃃𓅱 on the left is a personification of the 5th Nome of Upper Egypt 𓇓 (later called the Coptite Nome). During the Old Kingdom, the nomes (or provinces) of Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖 were usually drawn as people! The “divine figure” is offering the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 Sahure 𓇳𓃃𓅱 an Ankh 𓋹. The “divine figure” also has the “double falcon emblem 𓈺” carved on his head, which was the nome standard!
Something I love about this statue 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾 is that it is made out of gneiss, which is one of my favorite rocks 𓇋𓈖𓂋𓈙𓏦! Here’s a little geology lesson: Gneiss is a foliated metamorphic rock 𓇋𓈖𓂋𓈙 which means that it was subjected to such extreme heat and pressure during its formation (probably due to mountain 𓈋𓅳 building or plate tectonics), that the minerals 𓇋𓌻𓂋𓅱𓈙𓏦 have separated into bands of light (felsic) and dark (mafic) colored minerals 𓇋𓌻𓂋𓅱𓈙𓏦! This gives gneiss a natural zebra-like appearance – can you spot the banding on the statue 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾?
Gebel el-Asr is the only quarry 𓎛𓏏𓏏𓉐 in Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖 where gneiss can be found, and gneiss was prized from the Predynastic to Middle Kingdoms for statue 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾 making!
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