15. Head of a Male Sphinx

The sphinx head possibly represents the founder of the Twelfth Dynasty, Amenemhat I. Unusually, the uraeus snake on top of his head is not a cobra, but a viper. This feature is more common on small-scale figures used in temple worship; it could suggest the original context of the statuette was a temple in the Near East, where Egyptian forces had been stationed. The prominent ears, placed high on the sides of the head are typical of this period. Being a divine representation, the statue was seen as having sensory abilities; the ears marked its willingness to ‘listen’ to favor-seeking humans. Amenemhat I had an interesting trajectory: a commoner by birth, he led a major quarrying expedition in Nubia as vizier to his predecessor, Mentuhotep IV. As a king he built or rebuilt several massive forts along the Nile near the First and Second Cataracts to control the flow of goods into Egypt. The Prophesy of Neferti, a Middle Kingdom text, hints at his southern heritage. It states that a king from the south (Ameny), a child of a woman from Ta-Seti, would restore Egypt to its former glory. It is unknown whether Amenemhat I’s heritage from Ta-Seti informed his self-identity. Regardless of his family connection with Nubia, he faced and suppressed at least one uprising there during his reign. Similarly, he and his descendants shaped the political landscape of Nubia for two centuries. Amenemhat I’s story hints at continuing resistance in the south that upset Egyptian interests, as well as the complexity of the royal courts and ancient identities.

Here is an excerpt from the prophesy:

“The land is destitute, although its rulers numerous. It is ruined, but its taxes are immense. Sparse is the grain, but great is the measure for it is wasted as if it were abundant. […] But then there shall come a king from the south. His name will be Ameny, justified. He will be the son of a woman from Ta-Seti […]. He shall receive the White Crown. He shall wear the Red Crown. He shall unite the two powers.”