Menkaure & Unidentified Female

King Menkaure, the illustrious pharaoh of Egypt’s Fourth Dynasty, reigned during the mid-26th century B.C., leaving an enduring legacy of majesty and refinement. Best known for his resplendent pyramid at Giza—smaller yet more exquisitely crafted than those of his predecessors—Menkaure was a sovereign of both might and measured grace.

His reign is immortalised through sublime artefacts now gracing the halls of renowned museums. Among them, the breathtaking Triads of Menkaure, sculpted in dark diorite, depict the king in divine company, flanked by the goddess Hathor and regional deities, their serene forms exuding an aura of eternal power. These masterworks, now housed in institutions such as the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, speak to the artistry and piety of his time.

Though his rule remains somewhat enigmatic, Menkaure is often depicted as a ruler of benevolence, a stark contrast to the harsher reputations of his forebears. His unfinished pyramid and mortuary complex suggest an untimely demise, yet his name endures, chiselled into stone and memory alike, a testament to the splendour of Ancient Egypt’s golden age.

The two figures in this double statue, of the king and an unknown female, stand in perfect harmony. He embodies the very essence of kingship and the ideal male form, while she represents the pinnacle of feminine grace. He wears the nemes headdress, a long, artificial beard, and a wraparound kilt with a central tab—each a clear mark of his royal status. In his hands, he clasps what may be abbreviated symbols of his office. His sharply defined cheekbones, rounded nose, faint diagonal furrows from nostrils to mouth corners, and slightly protruding lower lip are mirrored in her own features, though softened by a fuller, more feminine countenance. Traces of red pigment linger upon his face, while remnants of black paint remain on her wig.

His broad shoulders, taut torso, and sculpted limbs exude a restrained power, subtly modelled with masterful precision. By contrast, her delicate shoulders and slender frame, accentuated by the clinging folds of her sheath dress, embody the Egyptian ideal of feminine beauty. In keeping with convention, his left foot is placed forward, yet his weight remains on the right, a pose characteristic of male Egyptian statuary. Typically, female figures are depicted with their feet together, yet here, her left foot is marginally advanced—an intriguing deviation from tradition. Despite standing together upon a shared base and back slab, and despite the intimacy of her arm encircling him, they remain impassive, unengaged with either the viewer or one another.

But who is the woman depicted beside the king?

The base of the statue, which would ordinarily bear inscriptions detailing the identities and titles of its subjects, was left unfinished, its final polish absent from select areas of the sculpture. However, as it was discovered within Menkaure’s Valley Temple and closely resembles other statues from the same site inscribed with his name, there is no doubt that the male figure is King Menkaure.

Reisner posited that the woman may be Queen Khamerernebty II, the only named consort of Menkaure known to history. Yet she was interred within a mastaba, whereas two of Menkaure’s unnamed queens were buried within small pyramids. Others have speculated that she may embody the goddess Hathor, though she lacks any clear divine attributes.

Some scholars, noting that later kings are frequently depicted alongside their mothers, have suggested that she could be Menkaure’s mother. However, in private sculpture, when a man and woman appear together and their relationship is specified, they are most commonly depicted as husband and wife. Since private sculptures were modelled upon royal examples, this strongly implies that she is indeed one of Menkaure’s queens. Yet ultimately, the identity of the woman immortalised in this remarkable sculpture may forever remain a mystery.

Greywacke

Greywacke (pronounced “gray-wacky”) is a type of hard, coarse-grained sedimentary rock that consists of a mix of sand, silt, and clay. It is a variety of sandstone but is poorly sorted, meaning it contains a mix of different-sized particles, including quartz, feldspar, and rock fragments, all cemented together by clay or fine-grained minerals. In Ancient Egypt, greywacke was highly valued for its durability and fine-grained texture, making it an ideal material for carving statues, stelae, and ceremonial palettes.

Greywacke was sourced from the Eastern Desert and carefully worked by skilled artisans to create detailed reliefs and sculptures, often depicting gods, pharaohs, and sacred symbols. Its hardness made it challenging to carve, but it ensured that inscriptions and artwork remained well-preserved over millennia.

Menkaure Valley Temple

Nestled at the base of the grand Pyramid of Menkaure in Giza are the remnants of the Menkaure Valley Temple. Constructed during the reign of Menkaure in the 4th Dynasty (circa 26th century B.C.), this temple once stood as a pivotal feature of the pharaoh’s mortuary complex. Crafted from limestone and granite, the temple was intended to serve as the gateway to the pyramid, providing a sacred pathway for offerings to the deceased ruler.

Though the structure was left unfinished, possibly due to Menkaure’s untimely death, its later completion with mudbrick by his successor attests to the enduring importance of the site. The temple’s grandeur was meant to facilitate religious rites and solemn offerings to honour the pharaoh in the afterlife.

In 1909, the Harvard University-Museum of Fine Arts Expedition meticulously excavated the site, uncovering invaluable artefacts. Among these, the statue of Menkaure and the unidentified female figure was recovered and, by the grace of the Egyptian government, was assigned to the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (Accession Date: March 2, 1911), where it remains an iconic example of Egyptian artistry and devotion.

Summary:

Greywacke statue of king Menkaure & unidentified female

Old Kingdom, 4th Dynasty, c. 2490–2472 B.C.

From the remnants of the Menkaura Valley Temple, Giza.

MFA Boston. 11.1738