WALTERS-EG
Walters Art Museum (Egyptian) · statue
Block Statue of Kha-em-Waset
Description
<p>This piece is a small serpentine, New Kingdom, block statue of Kha-em-Waset. Kha-em-Waset was a noble who held the titles of Fan-Bearer and Chief of Works in the Temple of Amun. This statue would have been placed as a votive in the temple of Amun. Kha-em-Waset sits with his knees drawn up upon a rectangular bench, which in turn rests upon a rectangular base. The back right corner of the base is missing. There is a rectangular back plinth behind him. He wears a long, smooth, ankle-length garment. The outlines of his legs are visible in profile and his arms are visible within the garment as well. His arms are folded and hands rest flat upon his upper arms. An insignia on his upper right arm identifies him as belonging to the Temple of Amun. There are two vertical columns of hieroglyphics text on the front of his garment and on the back plinth. A single horizontal band of text surrounds the base. His wig is a New Kingdom combination of delicate wavy strands over plaited curls. His eyes are large and recall the orientalized almond-shaped eyes of Amenhotep III. His lips are thick and form a slight smile. His ears are unusually pointed. He has a short, squared beard.</p><p>For the latest information about this object, <cite><a href='https://purl.thewalters.org/art/22.68' rel='external'>Block Statue of Kha-em-Waset</a></cite>, visit the Online Collection of the Walters Art Museum.</p>
AI image analysis GPT-5.4-nano
Machine-generated from the object's image on Jul 2026. Not curatorial; treat deities, names, and signs below as the model's best reading, not authority.
A seated block statue of an Egyptian official wearing a close-fitting headpiece and long garment, with his chest and base decorated by incised hieroglyphic text.
The image shows a dark, black stone block statue with a cylindrical torso transitioning into a rectangular base. The figure is seated on a low platform; one leg appears forward and the arms are held close to the body. The head is topped by a rounded, striated cap/kerchief-like head covering. The statue’s front surfaces—especially the chest and the upper register of the base—contain dense, incised hieroglyphs in vertical and horizontal lines, painted or inlaid in a lighter color that contrasts with the dark stone. No clearly legible cartouche or name is fully readable at this resolution. The lower front of the base also contains additional hieroglyphic signs in bands, suggesting an offering or autobiographical text typical of block statues. No Greek/Coptic/Arabic text is visible. The overall surface has wear and minor chips, but the hieroglyphic layout is preserved. The material appears consistent with a dark/black stone surface with a slightly mottled sheen, compatible with black serpentine as in the catalogue.
royal
New Kingdom, 18th Dynasty (likely) to early Ramesside period; exact date unclear from image alone
good
Materials
black stone (consistent with black serpentine)
Signs
incised hieroglyphic text in vertical columns (exact signs not fully legible) ×20
incised hieroglyphic text in horizontal/rectangular bands on base (exact signs not fully legible) ×15
Inscriptions (4)
Inscription #1
English description
[Translation] All things which go forth on the offering table of Amun, (lord of) coolness and dryness, for the fan-bearer, Kha-em-Waset;
Inscription #2
English description
[Translation] The true admirable one of good character, of kindly manners, who is not negligent, the fan bearer of the troop ""Beautiful is the yeomanry"", Kha-em-Waset;
Inscription #3
English description
[Translation] An offering which the king gives to Amun-Re, King of the gods, that he may give a good life to him who is devoted to him and puts himself upon his face, the fan-bearer Kha-em-Waset. An offering which the king gives to Amun-Re, (lord of) coolness and dryness, that he may give a good life in following him until he reaches the age in goodness, to the fan-bearer, Kha-em-Waset ////, the Chief of the works in the Temple of Amun.
Inscription #4
English description
[Mark] Temple of Amun
Cross-references (2)
- Walters-AccNum 22.68 tier-2
- Walters-id 17604 tier-2
Similar inscriptions · by content embedding
About this record's data
- From the source institution — accession, description, dimensions, and dating are as catalogued by Walters Art Museum (Egyptian).
- AI-inferred — the image-analysis panel (deities, names, signs) is machine-generated and may be wrong.
- Approximate location — most map points are plotted at the site centroid, not the exact findspot.
- Inferred links — cross-references marked with a match method other than explicit-source-field were matched by us, not stated by the source.