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The Courtyard of the Cachette in the Temple of Amun at Karnak
by Jimmy Dunn

The material clearly reflects the rise and decline of Thebes. During the New Kingdom and until the beginning of the 26th Dynasty, not only kings set up their statues in the Temple of Amun at Karnak, but also high-ranking priests, as well as civil and military officials, in order to show their devotion to Amun. After the seat of power switched back to the north, mostly only temple staff continued to erect more statues in the temple. 

Even though the Old Kingdom is poorly represented, Legrain unearthed the lower part of a striding statue of the 5th Dynasty King, Niuserre in the cachette, the upper part of which is now in the National Museum of Beirut. Statues from the Middle Kingdom are more numerous, and include royal statues of Senusret I, Senusret III and Amenemhet III, very significant figures of the 12th Dynasty. Most of these were true masterpieces. There are even objects from the Second Intermediary Period, though limited and lacking originality. 

During the 18th Dynasty, royal statuary from the cachette is well represented. The reign of Tuthmosis III was a high point in this dynasty, and evidenced by no fewer than nineteen statues of the king, some so masterful they are considered to be some of the grandest works of Egyptian art history. 

The Ramesside Period is less well represented than the 18th Dynasty, with a relatively small number of true works of art. There were eight statues of Ramesses II, and another two upright statues of Ramesses III, including one of colossal size. Afterwards, only Ramesses VI is represented by two notable statues that are rather stylized and conventional. Statue from the periods after the 18th Dynasty are often executed in a rather cold manner, lacking sensibility.

The following statuary (click on a picture for a larger view), is as chronologically ordered as possible.

Statue of Amenemhet III	Statue of Ramessunakht, High Priest of Amun-Re	Statue of the Father of the Vizier, Ankhu	Statue of Amenhotep II
Statue of Amenhotep II with Meretseger	Head of a Statue of Amenhotep III	Statue of Amenhotep III	Statue of Senenmut with Neferure
Block Statue of Senenmut with Neferure	Statue of Isis, Mother of Tuthmosis III	Sphinx of Tuthmosis III	Statue of Tuthmosis III
Head of a Statue	Colossal Statue	Statue of Ramesses III as a Standard-Bearer of Amun-Re	Statue of the Priest Priest of Amun, Ramessunakht, with the Theban Triad
Standard-Bearer Statue Usurped by Sheshonq	Statue of the Vizier Hor	Block Statue of Nakhtefmut	Block Statue of Hor, Son of Ankhkhonsu
Block Statue of Hor	Block Statue of Irethorru, Son of Nesineheret	Statue of the Scribe Nespaqashuty	Statue of Montuemhet
Statue with Stela	Statue Group of Montuemhat and his Son, Nesptah	Statue of Petamenhotep as a Scribe	Block Statue of Ahmes, Son of Pakharkhonsu
Statue of Pakhnum	Statue of a Ptolemaic Queen

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• The Approach to the First Pylon (Western)
• The First Courtyard in the Temple of Amun, Karnak
• The Open Air Museum
• The Great Hypostyle Hall
       Part One, An Overview and the Exterior Walls
       Part Two: The Columns
       The Interior Walls
• The Obelisk Courtyard (Between the Third and Fourth Pylons)
• The Hypostyle Court of the Temple Proper
• The Colonnade of Tuthmosis I and the Vestibule and Antechamber of Tuthmosis III Between the Fifth and Sixth Pylons
• The Peristyle Court of Tuthmosis III, The Naos of Philip Arrhidaeu and the Sanctuary of Hateshpsut Beyond the Sixth Pylon
• The Central Courtyard and the Festival Hall of Tuthmosis III
• The Temple of the "Hearing Ear",  The Eastern Temple of Ramesses II,  the Colonnade of Taharka  and the Gate of Nectanebo I  at Temple of Amun at Karnak
• The Courtyard of the Cachette
        The Courtyard of the Cachette, Part I                
        The Courtyard of the Cachette, Part II
• The Courtyard Between the Seventh and Eighth Southern Pylons
• The Eighth, Ninth and Tenth Pylons and the Courtyards Between them
• The Osirian Temple of Taharqa at Karnak
• The Sacred Lake and the Scarab