Bust of King Merneptah

This gray granite bust from a statue of King Merneptah shows the king as a middle-aged man. He wears the Nemes headdress topped by the uraeus, or royal cobra. His names are engraved upon his shoulders.

The torso shows a strong, well-built body, serious face but softer features. The statue was once painted; the headdress was yellow, and the eyes were white and black. It was found in the king’s mortuary temple at Thebes.

New Kingdom, 19th Dynasty, reign of Merneptah, ca. 1213-1203 BC. Now in the Egyptian Museum, Cairo. JE 31414