Colossal Statue of Amenhotep III and Queen Tiye
This colossal statue of Amenhotep III and Tiye is a group statue of Egyptian Pharaoh Amenhotep III, his Royal Wife Tiye, and three of their daughters. It is the largest known Ancient Egyptian family group ever carved. The almond-shaped eyes and arched eyebrows of the figures are of typical late 18th dynasty style.
Amenhotep III wears the “nemes headdress” with the cobra, a false beard and a kilt and he is resting both his hands on his knees. Queen Tiye is sitting on his left, with her right arm placed around her husband’s waist. Her height is equal to that of the pharaoh, which shows her prominent status. She wears an ankle-length, close-fitting dress and a big wig with a vulture headdress.
The three smaller figures depict the three of their daughters. One of the Princess is standing in the center between her parent’s legs and is depicted as a grown woman, in a close-fitting dress and a full wig with modius and plumes. To the far left of Amenhotep’s legs stands the figure of a younger daughter, while to the far right of Tiye’s legs stands another princess. The two Princesses on the sides of the sculpture are both damaged and not visible in the picture above because of the angle of the photography.
The statue originally stood in Medinet Habu, West Thebes and today it is the centerpiece of the main hall of the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. JE 33906