The Gold of Honour

We are again visiting the Museum of Luxor and having a closer look at this sandstone statue of an officer, that was found in Qau el-Kebir, in the governorate of Assiut.

The statue is from dynasty XVIII, ca. 1440-1400 BC, perhaps from the reign of Amenhotep II or Thutmose IV.

The golden collar around the neck and the golden bands and bracelets that adorn his arms are “the gold of honour” awarded by the King, perhaps for bravery shown on the battlefield or for loyalty shown for the king.

Qau el-Kebir is the Arabic name of an Upper Egyptian village located on the east bank of the Nile, about 5 km east of the village of Tima and 45 km south of Assiut. It is located by the site known in ancient Greek records as Antaeopolis. The Ancient Egyptian name of the place was Dw QAw - 'high mount', referring originally to the mountains in the Eastern desert, but from the Late Period onward it was used to name the town. Qau was part of the 10th Upper Egyptian province or 'nome'.

Leave a comment

Please note, comments need to be approved before they are published.