The archaeological museum in Florence Italy has a badly damaged head of a granite statue, which dates from the reign of Pharaoh Amenhotep III in the 18th Dynasty. The museum lists the item as a head of a queen depicted as a goddess. It was found in 1892 near the colossi of Memnon, also known as the mortuary temple of Amenhotep on the West Bank of Luxor. However this statue was damaged in antiquity probably during the reign of Horemheb.
Amenhotep had around 6 consorts, 3 of which were his own daughters. However his chief wife was Queen Tiye. Over the years many people have speculated that this statue is of Queen Tiye, based on the location of discovery, dates and facial features. Yes, the facial features do seem similar to Queen Tiye…she would also have been shown as Hathor-isis with the same cows horns and sun disc atop a platformed crown. Yet, the Ureas cobra doesn’t fit with the images of Queen Tiye we have. All of her statues show her with 2, even 3, Ureai. This Firenze bust however only has one.
A granite statue found at the same area as the Firenze bust IS of Queen Tiye and is done in the same style. It is different as on her brow are 3 Ureas cobras, as well as several of her cartouches on the platform crown. The colossal seated statue of Queen Tiye and her family in Cairo also shows her with 3 Ureai. Thus I do not think that the Firenze bust is on Tiye, based on the lack of cartouches and a single ureas.
The top of the Firenze bust is missing, but when you investigate above, you can see the area where the Hathor cows horns would have been broken off.
At the colossi of Memnon is an amazing statue of Queen Tiye at the knee of Amenhotep, but she is wearing the double ureas. Tiye is only ever shown with a double or triple ureas, never a single. The third statue at where the second pylon would have been is a statue of a queen at Amenhotep’s knee…Sitamun, Tiye’s daughter. And she is shown with a single ureas cobra. So, what if the Firenze bust was of a member of Tiye’s family - her daughter?
When we look at the statue of Tiye’s brother Aanen, the features and style of statue match the Cairo Tiye, and the Firenze bust. Mostly the shape of the face and Eyes. Aanen was the chief astronomer of Amenhotep and is mentioned on the coffin of Tuya (Tiye’s mother).
The statue of Aanen in Turin is one of the best examples that Tiye and her brother did look alike…which means that her daughters would certainly look similar to the statues of Aanen and Tiye. The Firenze bust shares the same features as that of Aanen
and other statues of Tiye.
However I think the Firenze bust could have been part of a set of 3 statues which includes the granite statue of Tiye in Cairo mentioned above, and the third which is a statue of Isis in Turin.
The statue of Isis in Turin was found in 1852 also near the Colossi of Memnon, and matches the style and size of the Firenze bust and the Cairo Granite statue of Tiye. Yes the face has a slightly more pointed chin. She also has the cows horns and Sun Disc atop her head, but without a platform crown. She is standing holding a waz staff, much like the Cairo granite Tiye. This statue is clearly of Isis. Although Tiye has been depicted as several goddesses, including Tawaret the hippo goddess, yet the Turin Isis does not really share the facial shape of Tiye as other statues do.
Could she be the third of a set of Statues of Tiye and her Daughters? Sitamun, Tiye and now Tiye’s daughter Isis! We don’t know for sure, but the style and location of discovery do all begin to add up. The daughter Isis does share features similar to Tiye, but with a sharper chin as shown in the Isis Turin statue. It is possible that the statue could simple be just of the goddess Isis, and the broken Firenze bust of Hathor.
Seeing the seated Cairo statue of Tiye, more than likely these statue were part of
a Family triad set.
More background on Queen Tiye & her borther Aanen can be found in my book "Egypt Through The Ages" Available from Amazon (SOFTCOVER) Barnes & Noble (HARDCOVER)
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