Archaism and Kingship: A Late Royal Statue and its Early Dynastic Model *

Abstract

Publication of British Museum EA 941, a Late Period or early Ptolemaic royal statue in travertine whose model is the Early Dynastic statue of Djoser (Cairo JE 49158) from the serdab on the north side of his Step Pyramid, or another statue of the same type. We present the British Museum statue, compare it with the Djoser statue, and argue for the former's likely dating and Saqqara provenance. Both statues are significant for their iconography of divine kingship and mortuary transfiguration.