Background:

xA.f ra is an important king from the 4th dynasty. He is owner of the second pyramid at Giza along with its mortuary complex. In his valley temple they found his statues. Most probably they were 23 in association with the number of human organs but without repeating the organs which had two pairs. These statues most probably were used in the opening of the mouth ritual. Only six were found made out of different stones and exhibited in the Egyptian museum.

The statue:

It was discovered by Maritte’s workmen in a pit in the valley temple. Originally they should be in the colonnade due to the rectangular prints on the floor. The king is represented in life size sitting on a full back throne. He is bearing signs of royalty such as the nms headdress, the ureas on his forhead, the Sn dyt and the false royal beard. Facial features are well represented; the high cheek bones, broad nostrils and mouth. The eyes are represented looking at the horizon above human level. The body features are also very well represented showing muscles and veins in different parts of the body. He is showing all features of youth and vigor; a wide chest and a thin belly. Both hands are on his lap, one palm closed as sign of power and the other opened as sign of mercy. The throne is flanked with frontal views of lions. The abstract meaning is to give protection and power to the king. The religious meaning is that this scene is related to the hieroglyphic sign of ikr or the birth of the sun replacing the sun with him. The other interpretation includes him, the throne as a representation of Isis and Horus at the back of his neck as if they are forming a triad. The throne has representations of the smA tAwy sign on both sides which is a sign of the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt. The sign represents a lotus, significant of Upper Egypt and a papyrus, significant of Lower Egypt tied together with a trachea and lungs most probably belonging to the king. The meaning of this sign is either both Upper and Lower Egypt survive by taking their breath from the king or the trachea and lungs are representation of the Delta and the Nile tied together by the king. God Horus is represented at the back of his neck in a much smaller scale due to the idea of the divinity of the king. This representation is interpreted as follows:

<!--To support the neck

<!--To show full protection to the king

<!--To complete the above mentioned triad as every king after his death is identified with Osiris.

<!--He is the representation of Horus on earth accompanied by Horus himself.

On the base of the statue there are the titles of the king in hieroglyphics as follows:

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sxm Hr nbw: the power of golden Horus

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xA.f ra: khafre; shining as god Re

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nTr nfr nb xaw: the good god lord of shining