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Wikimedia Commons · Public domain · Hover to magnify, click for fullscreen
Original fileStatue of an asymmetrically seated man
The sculpture is carved from yellowish limonite, depicting a man with a smooth, hairless chest and a heavy, shoulder-length wig with visible striations. He sits upon a block base, resting his right hand on his folded right leg while his left arm leans on his raised left knee. His facial features are solemn, with large, almond-shaped eyes, a straight nose, and a neutral expression. The pose is typical of Middle Kingdom administrative statuary, emphasizing a formal, balanced composition.
This style of seated male figure, often associated with scribal or administrative roles, was a hallmark of Egyptian funerary and votive practice during the Middle Kingdom, intended to preserve the status and identity of the deceased in the afterlife.
The Book of the Dead
The figure's pose and role relate to the bureaucratic requirements of Egyptian funerary beliefs regarding the preservation of the individual's identity in the afterlife.
Object
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
30.8.76
Egyptian Art
Yellow limonite (G.L.Finlay)
carving
limonite
Middle Kingdom
Egyptian
sculpture
Digital Source
Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public domain
Linked Data
AI AI-cataloged fields generated by gemini-3.1-flash-lite-preview on April 20, 2026. Getty identifiers are AI-inferred and may require verification.