Zoomorphic Seth with King Ramesses II: Egyptian Museum, Cairo JE 42993

Despite the ubiquitous mention of the god Seth (Sutekh), chiefly identified with chaos and disorder in the ancient Egyptian religious pantheon, objects representing the deity are extremely rare. Extant instances of his depiction in statuary portray the divinity in composite form, that is, as a human with the head of an animal. A well-known group statue in the Egyptian Museum (Cairo JE 31628) shows King Ramesses III crowned by both Horus and Seth, with both gods represented in composite form. This style of rendering also appears in a small group statue preserved in the Louvre Museum (E 3374) dated to the reign of Ramesses II, wherein Seth is shown beside his sister Nephthys. The statue in the Egyptian Museum, Cairo JE 42993, which is studied here, exhibits a unique model of Seth in full animal form standing behind Ramesses II. However, a noteworthy detail is that the god is not shown crowning the pharaoh. Therefore, this statue reveals a different function of Seth when compared to the group statue in the Egyptian Museum (Cairo JE 31628) and the small group statue of Louvre Museum (E 3374), cited hitherto. The following aspects will be analyzed in this study: the reasons for sculpting Cairo JE 42993 in the manner it appears, the necessity to represent Seth in complete animal form, and the relationship between the monarch and this deity. The researcher will attempt to discuss the essence and importance of the statue through the placement and appearance of the god Seth.