“The functions of statues ... were to act as representations, to be a substitute for who they were representing and also to act as a physical host for various non-physical or spiritual aspects of the entity so that they could be present and participate in rituals.”
—From Ramesses Loved by Ptah
on unearthing the 19th-century statue of Ramesses II, finds an echo in Thomas’ history of the Grand Egyptian Museum statue, one of the best-preserved statues of the storied pharaoh, who reigned from 1279 to 1213 BCE. This engaging chronicle by Susanna Thomas, who specializes in display and interpretation of ancient Egyptian material culture at the Grand Egyptian Museum in Cairo, details the discovery and excavation of the 36-foot-tall limestone statue at the Great Temple of Ptah near Memphis. The book also serves as an accessible primer on Egyptian monument art and the meanings behind the different forms, both to people of the time and those who discovered it centuries later. Whether you’re interested in how such relics are preserved or in understanding the meaning of these figures of pharaonic Egypt, you will find this to be an easy yet enlightening read.
