The Courtyard of the Cachette in the Temple of Amun at Karnak
By Jimmy Dunn
The statues unearthed in the Karnak Cachette provide a remarkable compendium of Egyptian statuary, and form a sort of art history of sculpture throughout Egypt's history. Objects in the cachette date from the Old Kingdom through the late Ptolemaic Period, covering the spectrum of ancient Egyptian history. Prominent are statues and objects from the New Kingdom, the Third Intermediate Period and the 25th Dynasty, periods when Thebes was most active, while fewer objects are found from the Old and Middle Kingdoms. Also in the 26th Dynasty, the kings transferred central power to the north once more, and this is reflected in a noticeable decline in the number of statues from that period. The number of statues once again increased during the 30th Dynasty and during the entire Ptolemaic Period.Most of the material dates to the last four centuries BC.
The material clearly reflects the rise and decline of Thebes. During the New Kingdom and until the beginning of the 26th Dynasty, not only kings set up their statues in the Temple of Amun at Karnak, but also high-ranking priests, as well as civil and military officials, in order to show their devotion to Amun. After the seat of power switched back to the north, mostly only temple staff continued to erect more statues in the temple.
Even though the Old Kingdom is poorly represented, Legrain unearthed the lower part of a striding statue of the 5th Dynasty King, Niuserre in the cachette, the upper part of which is now in the National Museum of Beirut. Statues from the Middle Kingdom are more numerous, and include royal statues of Senusret I, Senusret III and Amenemhet III, very significant figures of the 12th Dynasty. Most of these were true masterpieces. There are even objects from the Second Intermediary Period, though limited and lacking originality.
During the 18th Dynasty, royal statuary from the cachette is well represented. The reign of Tuthmosis III was a high point in this dynasty, and evidenced by no fewer than nineteen statues of the king, some so masterful they are considered to be some of the grandest works of Egyptian art history.
The Ramesside Period is less well represented than the 18th Dynasty, with a relatively small number of true works of art. There were eight statues of Ramesses II, and another two upright statues of Ramesses III, including one of colossal size. Afterwards, only Ramesses VI is represented by two notable statues that are rather stylized and conventional. Statue from the periods after the 18th Dynasty are often executed in a rather cold manner, lacking sensibility.
The following statuary (click on a picture for a larger view), is as chronologically ordered as possible.
Statue of Amenemhet III |
Statue of Ramessunakht, High Priest of Amun-Re |
Statue of the Father of the Vizier, Ankhu |
Statue of Amenhotep II |
Statue of Amenhotep II with Meretseger |
Head of a Statue of Amenhotep III |
Statue of Amenhotep III |
Statue of Senenmut with Neferure |
Block Statue of Senenmut with Neferure |
Statue of Isis, Mother of Tuthmosis III |
Sphinx of Tuthmosis III |
Statue of Tuthmosis III |
Head of a Statue |
Colossal Statue |
Statue of Ramesses III as a Standard-Bearer of Amun-Re |
Statue of the Priest Priest of Amun, Ramessunakht, with the Theban Triad |
Standard-Bearer Statue Usurped by Sheshonq |
Statue of the Vizier Hor |
Block Statue of Nakhtefmut |
Block Statue of Hor, Son of Ankhkhonsu |
Block Statue of Hor |
Block Statue of Irethorru, Son of Nesineheret |
Statue of the Scribe Nespaqashuty |
Statue of Montuemhet |
Statue with Stela |
Statue Group of Montuemhat and his Son, Nesptah |
Statue of Petamenhotep as a Scribe |
Block Statue of Ahmes, Son of Pakharkhonsu |
Statue of Pakhnum |
Statue of a Ptolemaic Queen |
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See also:
- The Approach to the First Pylon (Western)
- The First Courtyard in the Temple of Amun, Karnak
- The Open Air Museum
- The Great Hypostyle Hall
Part One, An Overview and the Exterior Walls
Part Two: The Columns
The Interior Walls - The Obelisk Courtyard (Between the Third and Fourth Pylons)
- The Hypostyle Court of the Temple Proper
- The Colonnade of Tuthmosis I and the Vestibule and Antechamber of Tuthmosis III Between the Fifth and Sixth Pylons
- The Peristyle Court of Tuthmosis III, The Naos of Philip Arrhidaeu and the Sanctuary of Hateshpsut Beyond the Sixth Pylon
- The Central Courtyard and the Festival Hall of Tuthmosis III
- The Temple of the "Hearing Ear", The Eastern Temple of Ramesses II, the Colonnade of Taharka and the Gate of Nectanebo I at Temple of Amun at Karnak
- The Courtyard of the Cachette
The Courtyard of the Cachette, Part I
The Courtyard of the Cachette, Part II - The Courtyard Between the Seventh and Eighth Southern Pylons
- The Eighth, Ninth and Tenth Pylons and the Courtyards Between them
- The Osirian Temple of Taharqa at Karnak
- The Sacred Lake and the Scarab
Resources:
Title | Author | Date | Publisher | Reference Number |
Ancient Egypt The Great Discoveries (A Year-by-Year Chronicle) | Reeves, Nicholas | 2000 | Thmes & Hudson, Ltd | ISBN 0-500-05105-4 |
Dictionary of Ancient Egypt, The | Shaw, Ian; Nicholson, Paul | 1995 | Harry N. Abrams, Inc., Publishers | ISBN 0-8109-3225-3 |
Egyptian Treasures from the Egyptian Museum in Cairo | Tiradritti, Francesco, Editor | 1999 | Harry N. Abrams, Inc. | ISBN 0-8109-3276-8 |
Oxford Encyclopedia of Ancient Egypt, The | Redford, Donald B. (Editor) | 2001 | American University in Cairo Press, The | ISBN 977 424 581 4 |
Temples of Karnak, The | de :Lubicz, R. A. Schwaller | 1999 | Inner Tradition | ISBN 0-89281-712-7 |