Statue of Ramose

This limestone sculpture depicts Ramose, a royal scribe from Deir el-Medina, kneeling and presenting statues of Osiris and Nephthys, along with the four sons of Horus: Hapi, Amset, Duamutef, and Qebehsenuef. The statue was discovered in Deir el-Medina, specifically from shaft 1114.

The statue’s dimensions are approximately 37 cm in height, 17.2 cm in width, and 22 cm in depth. It is crafted from limestone and features painted details. The inscriptions on the statue include hieroglyphic texts with funeral formulas, such as: “He says: I have come to you, Osiris, chief of the westerners, Isis and Nephthys, the masters of eternity, who receive the just, to grant me daily food.”

The statue was discovered at Deir el-Medina, in the shaft tomb 1114, a site that has yielded a wealth of information about the lives of the workmen who built the royal tombs. Deir el-Medina was unique in that its residents had access to the royal tombs but also created their own art, literature, and religious practices. This connection to both the royal and the everyday world is reflected in artifacts like the Statue of Ramose.

This statue of Ramose exemplifies the theophoric statue type, where the individual is depicted presenting deities, reflecting the ancient Egyptian practice of seeking divine favor in the afterlife. Ramose is depicted in a kneeling position, a common pose in ancient Egyptian art to show respect and humility.

Ramose was a royal scribe, specifically from Deir el-Medina, which was the village where the workers who built the tombs in the Valley of the Kings lived. These workers, known as “tomb builders,” were highly skilled craftsmen who played a critical role in the construction of the royal tombs. As a scribe, Ramose would have been involved in recording important details for the royal court and possibly for religious or funerary purposes.

New Kingdom, 19th Dynasty, reign of Ramesses II, ca. 1279-1213 BC. Now in the Louvre. E 16378