Yuny and Renenutet

Walking through the Egyptian gallery at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, I was drawn to a limestone statue of Yuny and his wife Renenutet from the New Kingdom, Early 19th Dynasty (ca. 1294–1279 B.C.). The main purpose of this paper is to describe the physical features, content and symbolism of this piece. It depicts a powerful couple that look straight ahead, with their heads held up, blank eyes wide-open, and very solemn expressions. The symmetry of their features and the smoothness of their skin make them seem removed from the viewer.   This suggests their authority and power.
This is a statue, and it is smaller than life-size. It is carved out of limestone and there are some damaged areas. The subject matter is a couple seated on a bench positioned next to each other and supported by a sunken relief stone. Their oval-shaped face and almond-shaped eyes are carved smoothly. The couple is stiffly and rigidly seated in a formal posture, but their faces are calm. Some parts of the figures are damaged; for instance, Yuny’s nose and lips are missing as well as Renenutet’s toes, along with some pieces on her left shoulder. Their bodies are slender and different in height; Yuny is taller than his wife. She places her right arm around Yuny’s shoulder. In her left hand, she holds a bead necklace, which looks heavy. She is wearing a broad collar necklace, which could be a gold, and a long dress whereas Yuny is wearing a linen kilt.
Looking at the whole statue, at first, what caught my attention was the hair. Yuny and Renenutet wear the fashionable wigs and fine linen attire. There are traces of black on the wigs. Her hair is longer than his: Yuny’s hair end on his shoulders (just below his chin) while Renenutet’s ends just above her breasts. The sculptor has done a great job carving the details that convey to the viewer the elaborate clothing, coiffures, and jewelry.
When analyzing this statue, another thing one notices is that it consists of a lot of symbols, which seem...