Shokugan Amenhotep III statue

Amenhotep III was the son and successor of Thutmose IV. He inherited a vast empire stretching from Syria to the Fifth Cataract of Nile in Sudan, maintained through trade and diplomacy. He comissioned hundreds of sculptures for his mortuary temple. Statues representing the ruler probably functioned to receive offerings and prayers. On the sides of his throne are the symbols of the plants of Upper and Lower Egypt representing the union of the two lands. On the back pillar is an inscription, defaced during the campaign by King Akhenaten against the representations of Amun. These erasures were restored on the return to orthodox beliefs.