Why are the noses of so many ancient Egyptian statues broken?
The ancient Egyptians were champions in the arts. They carved countless statues depicting the society of the Pharaohs, religious icons, and the wealthiest citizens of the country.
But regardless of whether these statues depict different people or animals, many of them share one common feature: broken noses.
This "epidemic" of broken noses is so widespread that people suspect it's just a series of random accidents or something more sinister is going on.
The truth is that in most cases where statues have broken noses, the cause is intentional.
According to Adela Oppenhein, Museum Manager in the Egyptian Arts Department at the Museum of Art in New York, USA, these statues have broken noses because many ancient Egyptians believed that statues also possessed life, and if a hostile force happened to discover a statue whose power they wanted to destroy, the best way to destroy the statue's power was to break its nose.
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The face of Pharaoh Senwosret III, 1878–1840 BC. Like many other statues, this one also had its nose broken off to render it powerless. |
Of course, the ancient Egyptians knew that even if statues were alive, they couldn't stand up and move because they were made of stone, metal, or wood, and they also knew that statues couldn't actually breathe like humans. However, their belief in the invisible or mystical still held that if statues were alive, then like humans, life would enter or exit through the nose, just like how we breathe.
Ms. Oppenheim also stated that when the ancient Egyptians performed rituals of invoking spirits into statues, the opening of the mouth was a very common practice. In this ritual, the mouths of the statues were anointed with fragrant oils and various objects were placed inside to make the statues "come to life" and possess power.
The belief that statues possess life is widespread, which is why opponents often seek to destroy this power when they revolt. For example, looters of temples, tombs, and other sacred places often believe that statues possess life-force capable of punishment or revenge, and therefore must "kill" these statues. One effective way to do this is to cut off the noses of the statues, paintings, or reliefs so they can no longer breathe.
However, sometimes vandals don't just stop at cutting or smashing the statue's nose; they smash its face, hands, and feet to completely destroy its life.
There are also some cases where statues are damaged by nature or eroded due to the non-durable materials, but there are also traces of deliberate vandalism caused by humans that can be recognized upon close inspection.
