Tátrai Vilmos szerk.: A Szépművészeti Múzeum közleményei 95. (Budapest, 2001)
VOZIL, IRÉN: Technical analysis, restoration and evaluation of material testing of the bronze statuette of Imhotep
I. TECHNICAL ANALYSIS The difference in the quality of the two parts is apparent. While the figure of Imhotep, together with the footstool is a masterpiece which has been prepared very carefully with beautiful chasing, precisely fitted precious metal inlays, the chair and the base are worked rather roughly and lack the refined details characterising the seated figure. It is evident that the two parts were made by different hands and maybe even in different workshops. It is conspicuous that the back leans against the seat only at one point at the height of the blade-bone. The bottom is not situated in the trough of the seat cushion, but resting on the slightly elevated edge, and it is located at a distance of 3-5 mm from the seat cushion. As opposed to the general depiction practice, the footstool is not resting on the base, only the lower edge of its front panel is attached (figs. 6-7). The body and the base are joined by means of a tenon protruding from the footstool. The pin emerges in an inclined direction from the footstool, and is matched rather roughly into the vertically aligned tenon hole. Imhotep wears a closely fitting cap. The garment consists of drape wrapped around the body from right to left tied by a band knot in front just below the breasts. Two kinds of solutions were used for tying the garment just below the breasts: in one of the methods the corners of the material were fixed by means of folding after wrapping the body, 6 and in the other case, the fixing was made by a knotted band. Both methods can be observed in the depictions of Imhotep from the Late Period. 7 The drape itself is a long rectangular cloth, 8 which is wrapped around the body, tied by means of a strap below the breast, being open in front in an overlapped way (figs. 8-9). The fixing band could have been made in two different ways: either it was routed within the hem, prepared by folding the edge of the drape, or it was simply stitched to the two corners of the drape. The edge of the drape, which provided the final overlapping in front, was generally decorated either with fringes sewn down, which were made of the wefts or with cords in the later 6 Bosse, K., Die Menschliche Figur in der Rundplastik der Ägyptischen Spätzeit von der XXIL bis zur XXX.Dynastie, Hamburg und Glückstadt 1936, 39, N° 88., pl.XIII. 7 Eg. Daressy, G., Catalogue Général des antiquités égyptiennes du Musée du Caire, Nos. 38.00138.849: Statues du divinités, 1-41. Le Caire 1905-1906, p. 18, pl.IV: N° 38.047 dated to the Saite Period (silver inlay); p. 19, pl. V: N° 38.052 (golden, silver inlays); N° 38.053. On these Imhotep bronze statuettes the garment is tied by a band knot just below the breasts and on the "Saite" N° 38.062 is fixed by means of folding. Their clothing is wrapped around the body (from right to left) and fringed in front, like that of our statue. 8 See the dress-pattern in Bothmer, B,V., ESLP, New York 1960, pp.75-76, No. 63. On fig. 148., pi. 59 (Dyn. XXVII). The garment of the fragment of this male statue is fixed by means of folding, but wrapped around from left to right. According to Bothmer the origin of the clothing is yet unexplained, but its use supposedly began with Dynasty XXVII. Against this, see Dr. de Meulenaere's contrary opinion: according to him the occurrence of this wrap-around does not constitute a sure indication of post - Saite date. The female dress-pattern shown in Vogelsang-Eastwood, G., Pharaonic Egyptian Clothing, Leiden, 1993, p. 99, fig. 7:2., is similar to the above mentioned. The average size of the drape (fig. 7:2) is 300 x 110 cm, but the actual size depends on the dimensions of the person. The length of the clothing could be even up to 120-125 cm in case of tall persons.
