Head of the god Amun

The braided beard and the flat cap with remnants of double plumes identify this god as Amun. His small eyes are separated by a curved depression from the rounded brow ridge; his broad face shows full lips with sharp contours, and, from the side, a slightly drooping chin. These features closely parallel those of King Tutankhamun and mark the piece as his commission. The statue was certainly created for Karnak, Amun's great temple at Thebes, as part of Tutankhamun's restoration of the god's monuments that had been defaced or destroyed during the reign of Akhenaten. A number of sculptures depict Amun touching the crown of Tutankhamun, who stands or kneels before him. This head seems very large for such a composition, however; thus it is likely that the head originally belonged to a large freestanding or seated figure of the god.