Abstract :
[en] The attention Egypt paid to images, along all phases of its history, was so great that traces of manipulation, modification, mutilation or even destruction can be noticed on most representations that have reached us. A single statue could thus go through several successive ‘lives.’ A proof of the material, symbolic and possibly ideologico-po- litical importance of statues in ancient Egypt is the practice of re-use, sometimes referred to as ‘usurpation.’ This practice, attested throughout Egyptian history, was particularly successful under the reigns of Ramesses II and Merenptah, with regard to the royal repertoire, but also in the private sphere. Such practice, attested throughout Egyptian history, was particularly favoured under the reigns of Ramesses II and Merenptah with regard to royal repertoire, but also concerning private individuals. Indeed, re-using was so frequent that, faced with any royal Ramesside statue, one would soon have mixed feelings and wonder whether dealing with an original or with a work usurped from a previous king. This article intends first to review the means available to Egyptologists for the identification of ‘usurped’ statues, then explore methods of applying those means to the 13th century BC. Finally, we propose to dis- cuss what could have been the reasons why the sovereign, as well as private persons, launched out into a large-scale practice of ‘usurpation’.
