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Egyptian Artifacts

Granodiorite Statue of Amun

This is a beautiful π“„€ granodiorite statue π“„šπ“ˆ–π“π“­π“€Ύ of the god π“ŠΉ Amun π“‡‹π“ π“ˆ–π“€­. Amun π“‡‹π“ π“ˆ–π“€­ was the most popularly worshipped god π“ŠΉ during the 18th Dynasty amongst the pharaohs 𓉐𓉻𓏦 and the elite.

This statue π“„šπ“ˆ–π“π“­π“€Ύ of Amun π“‡‹π“ π“ˆ–π“€­ is special because it was made during the reign of pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 Tutankhamun π“‡‹π“ π“ˆ–π“π“…±π“π“‹Ήπ“‹Ύπ“‰Ίπ“‡“ (18th Dynasty, c. 1336–1327 B.C.E.). After Akhenaten’s π“‡‹π“π“ˆ–π“‡³π“…œπ“π“ˆ– rule, Tutankamun π“‡‹π“ π“ˆ–π“π“…±π“π“‹Ήπ“‹Ύπ“‰Ίπ“‡“ was responsible for moving the capital of Egypt π“†Žπ“…“π“π“Š– back to Thebes π“Œ€π“π“Š– and reestablishing the traditional Egyptian pantheon. Tutankhamun π“‡‹π“ π“ˆ–π“π“…±π“π“‹Ήπ“‹Ύπ“‰Ίπ“‡“ commissioned a lot of statues π“„šπ“ˆ–π“π“­π“€Ύπ“ͺ of Amun π“‡‹π“ π“ˆ–π“€­ to be made, most likely as a way to show that the old religion was once again free to be worshipped. Egyptologists believe that this statue π“„šπ“ˆ–π“π“­π“€Ύ of Amun π“‡‹π“ π“ˆ–π“€­ was specifically sculpted to be placed in the Temple π“‰Ÿπ“π“‰ of Amun π“‡‹π“ π“ˆ–π“€­ at Karnak.

Something else that is interesting about the statue π“„šπ“ˆ–π“π“­π“€Ύ is that it does still have some Amarna-style features, which suggests that some of the sculptors that worked in the Amarna workshops went to Thebes π“Œ€π“π“Š– with Tutankhamun π“‡‹π“ π“ˆ–π“π“…±π“π“‹Ήπ“‹Ύπ“‰Ίπ“‡“ after Akhenaten’s π“‡‹π“π“ˆ–π“‡³π“…œπ“π“ˆ– reign. Some of the facial features of the statue π“„šπ“ˆ–π“π“­π“€Ύ are also similar to other representations of Tutankhamun π“‡‹π“ π“ˆ–π“π“…±π“π“‹Ήπ“‹Ύπ“‰Ίπ“‡“ (for example, the full lips, the drooping chin). The braided beard and the crown, however, make it unquestionable that this statue π“„šπ“ˆ–π“π“­π“€Ύ is meant to represent Amun π“‡‹π“ π“ˆ–π“€­.

Nicole (me) with the statue of Amun

Geology Lesson!!!! Granodiorite is an igneous rock π“‡‹π“ˆ–π“‚‹π“ˆ™ that is a β€œin between” granite π“‡‹π“ˆ–π“ˆ™π“ˆ–π“Œ³π“Ώ and diorite in terms of mineral composition. Granite π“‡‹π“ˆ–π“ˆ™π“ˆ–π“Œ³π“Ώ contains mostly quartz π“ π“ˆ–π“Œπ“ˆ™, while diorite contains a lot of plagioclase/potassium feldspars. Granodiorite contains both, hence it is an β€œin-between” rock π“‡‹π“ˆ–π“‚‹π“ˆ™!