July 01, 2022
A limestone life-sized statue of king Djoser has been revamped and is now showcased in a new display at the Museum of Egyptian Antiquities in Cairo.
The blue tiles, which are now part of the display, were found in the sub-chambers of the king’s pyramid. The curators of the museum believe they offer a more authentic view to the visitors.
The statue of king Djoser is the oldest known life-sized statue from ancient Egypt. It was found in 1925 at Saqqara, in a serdab at the Step Pyramid complex. King Djoser was the 1st king in Dynasty 3 (c. 2680-2650 BCE) and the owner of the 1st monumental stone structure in the world, the Step Pyramid at Saqqara. His father was king Khasakhemwy, the last king of Dynasty 2, from his wife Queen Nimaethap.
The statue shows the king seated on his throne while wearing a tripartite headdress and a long robe around his body. There are traces of plastered paint on the statue and the eyes were once inlaid, possibly with precious material.
This revampment is part of a larger development project to develop the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir. The project is being implemented through the corporation of various entities supported by an EU grant including five different museums from Europe and the Egyptian Scientific Committee, along with the trustees of the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir.
