Basinophorous statue of the musician Ptahankh

A basinophororous statue is a rare statue type, representing a figure, usually an official, kneeling before a rectangular or round basin. In this example, we see the official Ptahankh kneeling at a large, rectangular basin which tapers towards the bottom. He is embracing it with both arms, while at the same time leaning forward so that his chin is resting on the rim, as if he is about to drink from it. Ptahankh is known from other monuments besides this one, which means we can date this statue to the reign of Amenhotep III. During Amenhotep III’s reign, Ptahankh was the servant of the high priest Ptahmes at Memphis and the Chief Musician of Ptah. These titles are also found on this statuette, which is, in fact, a prime example of the artistic style of the period. Typical features are the courtier’s slanting, almond-shaped eyes with their elegantly arched brows, and the lifelike modelling of the body, unencumbered by any dorsal pillar or by the plinth, on which only the toes are resting. The edges of the basin and its narrow front end bear inscriptions, which, in addition to his titles, give two offering formulae, invoking the middle-eastern goddesses Qetesh and Astarte. Ptahankh’s wife Mi is also mentioned by name. Discussion of the significance of this statue type has recently been advanced by Kirsten Konrad, who makes a link between the basin and the creative power of the waters of the Nile. In fact, this was probably not just a sacrificial basin, a receptacle for offerings to sustain the deceased in the afterlife, but a real water basin or pool, from which Ptahankh actually drank to ensure that he would enjoy eternal life after death. This concept is related to funerary images of the nourishing tree-goddess, in whose shade the deceased drinks water from a pool.

E. von Bergmann, Inschriftliche Denkmäler der Sammlung ägyptischer Alterthümer des österr. Kaiserhauses 1886, in: Recueil de travaux relatifs à la philologie et à l'archéologie égyptiennes et assyriennes (Paris 1870) 195f. Sotheby's London, Antiquities, 13th July 1981, lot. 58. D. Wildung, Die Kniefigur am Opferbecken, MJbK, 36, 1985, 17-38 Sotheby's London, Antiquities, 9th/10th July 1992, lot 374, mit ausführlichen Literaturangaben Réunion des Musées Nationaux (Hrsg.) Aménophis III (Paris 1993) 204-206, Nr. 40bis T. Philipps (Hrsg.), Afrika. Die Kunst eines Kontinents (München 1995-96) 80 Nr. 1.39 (D. Wildung) M. Page-Gasser – A. Wiese (Hrsg.) , Ägypten, Augenblicke der Ewigkeit. Unbekannte Schätze aus Schweizer Privatbesitz (Mainz 1997) 132 Nr. 79; K. Konrad, Ein weiterer Basinophor, Zur Deutung der Sitzstatue eines Schreibers namens Eje (Ijj), in: SAK42, 2013, 181-192 Antikenmuseum Basel und Sammlung Ludwig.101 Meisterwerke (Basel 2022) 46f., Nr. 11