BUST OF ROYAL SCRIBE MÉNIOU 𓏟𓀀
- Heru
- Apr 16
- 3 min read
The Bust of the Royal Scribe, Méniou is a fragmentary limestone sculpture from Egypt’s 18th Dynasty, dating to the reign of Pharaoh Amenhotep III (circa 1390–1352 BCE). This period was a golden age of Kemetian art and wealth, and Méniou’s bust reflects the elite status of scribes in that society.
Scribes, indeginouly kown as Sekhau (𓏟𓀀 ) were the backbone of ancient Kemetian bureaucracy. Méniou wasn’t just any scribe; he held the prestigious title of Royal Scribe, placing him in close proximity to the pharaoh and the administrative elite. His bust shows him adorned with a pleated linen tunic and an elaborate usekh collar, symbols of his high rank and refined taste, and long, boisterous dreadlocks that cascade behind his shoulders, demonstrating both his cultural pride and the noble confidence of his position.
Despite its fragmentary state, the bust is a masterclass in ancient craftsmanship. His bust features round cheeks, full lips, and a broad nose, which has been deliberately destroyed. Despite the loss, the remaining facial features continue to convey a strong sense of his heritage and dignified presence. Traces of black pigment remain on the locks, eyes, and brows, giving the sculpture a striking appearance. The shoulder-length twisted locs is intricately detailed, and the overall execution reflects the artistic sophistication of Amenhotep III’s reign.
This twisted loc style remains a common hairstyle throughout the African diaspora to this day. While some have claimed this to be a wig rather than his natural hair, only a handful of wigs have been recovered in over a century and a half of excavations. This suggests that the vast majority of statues with these elaborate hairstyles represent the natural hair of their subjects. The claim of a wig is a convenient tool used to deny his African identity, obscuring the cultural significance of his hairstyle and attributing his representation to people of non-African descent.
In a 2009 study British archeologist Geoffrey Tassie acknowledged the importance of Kemetic hair in the portrayal of social and class status stating, "hairstyles were a means of displaying status. An institutionalized cannon for hairstyles was established coinciding with the creations of administrative institutions. These codified hairstyles continued to serve as the norms for identifying members of the administration or signs of authority." The study of ritualistic and hierarchal hairstyles in ancient Africa is called ethno-trichology.
The figure of rests upon a pillar, erected at the back of the statue, with a funerary formula inscribed in hieroglyphs;
“Your flesh will be firm, and you will live, O’ Royal Scribe the righteous, Méniou the beloved of the king[…] You will walk on the Earth, without meeting any opponents[…]”
“During the feast of the Great Offering, You will offer lettuce as well as[…] You will be acquitted against your enemies[…] The other world will welcome you, It will hide your body, O’ Royal Scribe, the righteous.”
Fragmentary painted limestone bust of the Royal Scribe, Méniou
New Kingdom, 18th Dynasty, reign of Amenhotep III, c. 1390-1352 B.C. Findspot is unknown at the present, however, the bust was acquired by the Musée du Louvre from Joanny Benoit Peytel in 1914 and has been held at the museum since 1918. E 11519
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