Fragment of painted raised relief depicting Tuthmosis III wearing an atef crown

From the Temple of Tuthmosis III at Deir el-Bahari
Height 46.5 cm
Date mid 18th Dynasty, ca 1,450BC
Inv. AML 74: on loan from the Australian Museum; gift of the Egypt Exploration Fund

Some of the finest raised relief sculpture produced in ancient Egypt comes from the reigns of Hatshepsut and Tuthmosis III, dating to the mid-18th Dynasty (ca1450 BC). This fragment depicts a youthful Tuthmosis III wearing an atef crown. An ankh sign, representing the breath of life, is held to his nostrils by a deity, probably Atum or Mont. The atef crown, usually worn by Osiris, god of the underworld, in this context identifies the king with this god.

The workmanship displayed here is sublime. The sculptor has attempted to show subtle modelling of the face presenting a youthful king, which is typical of royal relief from late in the reign of Tuthmosis III. The work has been brightly painted and the pigments remain vibrant and fresh notwithstanding the passage of nearly 3,500 years.

The fragment was excavated by Edouard Naville in 1906 during his excavations at Deir el-Bahari. The temple is located in a natural bay at the base of spectacular cliffs at Western Thebes, opposite modern Luxor. It was found amid the debris and rubble of the 11th Dynasty Temple of Mentuhotep Nebhepetre into which it had fallen from the south wall of the temple of Tuthmosis III, located on a terrace above. Initially acquired the Australian Museum, the piece is on permanent loan to the Nicholson Museum.