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DanLambert TheColossalStatueofKingMenkaura(Mycerinus) AccessionNumber:09.204 Location:Egypt:OldKingdom108 25April2010

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TheColossalStatueofKingMenkaurastopsvisitorstotheMFABostonintheirtrackswithitsmassive sizeandcalmstare.Thefigurehasanalmostoverwhelmingvisualpresenceanddemandsattentionandrespect. Thesize,proportions,gesture,andgazeofthefigureallworktogethertocommunicateclearlythatKing Menkauraisanallpowerfulgodlikeruler. ThemostobviousfeatureoftheColossalStatueofKingMenkauraisitssize.Whenapproachingthe grandseatedfigure,itbecomesincreasinglydifficulttoviewthesculptureinitsentirety.Standingnearlyeightfeet tall,itfillstheviewerseyesight.Thestatueseemsallencompassingandomnipotent,communicatingexactlyasit wasintended. Theproportionsofthefigureemphasizeitssize.Thoughreadingeffectivelyasahumanfigure,when seenheadon,thedimensionsareclearlydistorted,andnothingappearstobethecorrectsizerelativetothe figureasawhole.Thestatuesfeetandshinsarehuge,whilehisheadseemsminiatureatopsomewhatwide shoulders.Theseinaccuraciesfadeaway,however,whenthestatueisviewedupclose.Theenlargedlowerlegs appearcloserthantheyreallyare,whilethesmallheadseemsdistant.Thefiguresheaddressseemstoscrape theceiling.Itappearsasifthedistortedproportionswereintendedtoemphasizethealreadydauntingscaleof theColossalStatue. ThepostureandhandgesturesofthestatueaddtothecharacterizationofKingMenkaura.Sittingrigidly onablockofstone,thefigureseemsstableandimmovable.Nearperfectsymmetryaddstothissenseof stability,whilehisasymmetrichandgesturesmayreferenceKingMenkauraswisdomasaruler.Thefigures handsrestinhislap,withoneclenchedintoafist,possiblyaroundanobject,butitishardtotell,andtheother

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lyingflat.TheclenchedfistmightsymbolicallyreferencetheKingsabilitytoenforceorderintheland,whilethe flathandmaysuggesttheKingswisdomnottoruleforcefullywhenitwasnotwarranted.Thetwodifferent handgesturescanbereadasshowingtwodifferentsidestoKingMenkaurathattogethermadehimgreat. TheproportionaldistortionsandsymmetricaldesignoftheColossalStatuemakeiteasiertohypothesize abouthowthestatuewasmeanttobeviewed.Itseemslogicalthattheviewerwasmeanttolookupatthe figure.Fromanyotherperspectivetheproportionsseemflawed.Thesymmetryanddirectfrontalgazealso seemtosuggestthatthestatuewasintendedtobeapproachedfromthefront. WhenconsideringhowthecolossalstatueofMenkaurarelatedtoitscontextinEgyptianlife,theviewer isfacedwithtwoquestions.Forone,howsimilarwasthestatuetotheactualappearanceofKingMenkaura? Itcouldbeanexactlikeness,oritcouldbeageneralizedviewofwhattheidealpharaohmightlooklike.Ifitis notspecifictotheappearanceoftheactualleader,thephysicalappearanceofthestatuemightservetoconnect KingMenkauratohiscitizensandtoEgyptianleadersthatcamebeforehim. IfthefiguresfacialfeaturesweremeanttoconnectMenkauratohiscitizens,hisfacialstructuremight besimilartothatoftheaverageEgyptianmaleofhistime.Thephysicalappearanceofthestatuemightserveto emphasizeKingMenkaurasEgyptianheritageratherthantoshowanaccuratelikeness. Similarly,theappearanceofthesculpturemightserveasareferencetopastleadersinsteadofKing Menkaurahimself.ItisdifficulttosaywhatthefiguresphysicalappearancewouldcommunicatetoanEgyptian vieweratthetime,butitseemsreasonabletospeculatethatasymbolicconnectiontoleadershipingeneralor Egyptiansingeneralmighthavebeenmoreimportanttothecreatorofthestatuethanaccuratelydepictingthe Kingsappearance. Thesecondquestionfacinganinquiringviewerrelatestothestatuesintendedpurpose.Wasthestatue completedandplacedondisplaywhileKingMenkaurawasstillaliveandinpower,orwasitintendedto

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remindtheviewerofMenkauraafterhisdeath?IfthestatuewasintendedtobeondisplaybeforeMenkauras death,itcouldhavebeendesignedasaformofpropaganda.Thevisualpresenceandgestureofthestatuemight havebeenintendedtoreinforceKingMenkaurasroleastheleaderoftheEgyptianpeople,andcommunicate totheviewerthecalmpowerthathepossessed. Ifproducedafterhisdeath,itcouldhaveservedasareminderofamemorableking,andperhapsevena spirituallinktoafigurethathadpassedon.Itspurposemighthavebeensimilartopropaganda,butwouldbe focusedmoreonalteringthewaythatKingMenkaurawasremembered,ratherthanchangingthewaythat citizensrespondedtoaleadercurrentlyinpower.Inaspiritualsense,itmighthavealsobeenintendedto preserveanimageofthekingsothathemightsomehowliveonthroughhiscarvedlikeness. TheColossalStatueofMenkaurawasdiscoveredbyGeorgeReisner1909neartheMenkauras pyramidtempleatGiza.Thefigurehadbeenintentionallybrokenapartandthepieceswerescatteredaround thesiteandthenwereburiedovertime(Giza1).Thefragmentedpieceswereassembledintotheircurrent structurein1935bythecuratorJosephLindenSmith(Gansicke194).Itisbelievedthatthisfigurestoodina recessedcorneratthebackofMenkaurasPyramidTemple(Giza1). Menkaura,orMycerinusinLatin,wasanOldKingdomKingwhoreignedfrom2490to2472BC.His eighteenyearreignwasmarkedbyadramaticreductioninthequantityandscaleofbuildingprojectsas comparedtothekingswhocamedirectlybeforehim(Davidovits198).Menkaurabuiltthesmallestofthethree pyramidsatGiza,andhiscolossalstatuewasfoundintheruinsofthemortuarytempleassociatedwiththat pyramid(Giza1). JamesBreastedproposesinhistextAHistoryofEgyptthatthedeclineinbuildingproductionwas symptomaticofadeclineintheauthorityandrespectgiventoEgyptianroyalty.Hewritesthat,Ifthesizeofthe royalpyramidisanadequatebasisforjudgment,thepoweroftheroyalhousewasnolongersoabsolute

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(Breasted122).BreastedcontendsthatthechangeinarchitecturalscalethatcamewithMenkaurasrulewasa signthatEgyptianroyaltywasnolongerrespectedasitoncehadbeen. IfBreastedsassessmentisaccurate,itisinterestingtoconsiderhowthisculturaltrendmighthave playedintothecreationoftheColossalStatueofMenkaura.ItispossiblethatMenkaurawasawareofhis slippingauthorityandhadthestatuecarvedasawayofremindinghiscitizensofthepowerandcontrolthatthe EgyptianRoyaltyheldoverthenation.Itcouldhavebeencreatedasadirectresponsetoalackofrespect. UnfortunatelyforMenkuara,itappearsasthoughhissculpturalworksdidnotinfluencehiscitizensas theywerepossiblyintended.Breastedwritesthat,[Menkauras]ruinedtemple,unfinishedathisdeath,was facedwithsundriedbrick,insteadofsumptuousgranite(Breasted121).Insteadofanexpensivestonefinish, Menkaurastemplewascompletedincheap,impermanentmudbrick.ItseemsasthoughtheColossalStatueof MenkaurahadlittleeffectinslowingthedepletionofauthoritythattheEgyptianRoyalfamilyheld. InthecontextofEgyptianlife,thefiguresdressbecomesimmediatelyimportant.Theclothingand adornmentsthatMenkauraisshownwearingcommunicatedtoviewersatthetimeinawaythatitdoesnot today.ThekiltthatMenkauraisshownwearing,forexample,wasonlywornbykingsatthetime,andwould havereinforcedhispositiontoanEgyptianviewer.Thebearddepictedonthefigureisalsoasignofroyaltythat wouldhavebeenunderstoodbyvisitorsatthetime(Giza1). DuetothesheeramountoftimethathaspassedsincethecreationoftheColossalStatueofMenkaura, muchofwhatiswrittenaboutthestatueispurelyhypothetical.Hypothesesarenotwithoutreason,however, andmuchcanbelogicallydeterminedaboutthegrandseatedfigurewithoutknowingforsure.Itisreasonableto assumethatthestatuewascreatedtoimpacthowcitizensatthetimeperceivedtheirleader.Examiningthe historicalcontext,itispossiblethatthiswastiedintotheseeminglossofpowerthattheEgyptianroyalfamily wasstrugglingwith.Withinthisframeofreference,thesize,stance,gesture,andclothingofthestatuemakea

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greatdealofsense.TheColossalStatueofKingMenkaurawasclearlyintendedtocommunicatethe importanceandauthorityofKingMenkaura,anditispossiblethatthiswasinanattempttostrengthenthe KingspositionwithinEgyptiansociety.

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WorksCited Breasted,JamesHenry.AHistoryofEgypt.N.p.:CharlesScribner'sSons,1905.Print. Davidovits,Joseph,andMargieMorris.ThePyramids:AnEnigmaSolved.NewYork:DorsetPress, 1988.Print. Gansicke,Susanne,etal.TheAncientEgyptianCollectionattheMuseumofFineArts,Boston.Part2,a ReviewofFormerTreatmentsattheMFAandTheirConsequences.JournaloftheAmerican InstituteforConservation42.2(2003):194.JSTOR.Web.25Apr.2011. <http://www.jstor.org/ stable/ 3180070>. GizaMysteries:MenkaureStatues.MFAEducatorsOnline.MuseumofFineArtsBoston,2011.Web. 25Apr.2011.<http://educators.mfa.org/ galleries/ slideshow/ 735>. Posener,Georges.DictionaryofEgyptianCivilization.NewYork:TudorPublishingCompany,1959. Print.