This Statue of King Menkaura and His Queen is a masterpiece of diorite carving from the Fourth Dynasty of Ancient Egypt (c. 2500 BCE), unearthed from the Valley Temple of Menkaura at Giza. Adhering to the strict “frontality” convention of Ancient Egyptian art, the work depicts Pharaoh Menkaura standing side by side with his queen: the pharaoh wears a royal crown and false beard, embodying majestic authority; the queen rests her hand gently on his arm with a soft, elegant expression. The hard diorite, polished to a fine sheen, reflects both the Ancient Egyptian pursuit of eternal order and a subtle humanistic warmth in their interaction, making it a paradigm of Ancient Egyptian sculptural art.
