Block Statue of Senwosret-senebefny
Egyptian, Classical, Ancient Near Eastern Art
On View: Old Kingdom to 18th Dynasty, Egyptian Galleries, 3rd Floor
Block statues show their subjects—almost always male—seated on the ground with their knees drawn to their chests; a cloak usually envelops the limbs and torso. The resulting block-like form gives these statues their name.
Block statues first appeared in the Twelfth Dynasty, nearly one thousand years after most statue types had been developed. Some Egyptologists suggest that the invention of such a distinctive sculptural form probably reflected the emergence of new religious ideas. The Twelfth Dynasty witnessed an increase in the belief that a non-royal person’s spirit could be reborn after death. Some scholars have suggested that the block statue represents the spirit as it emerges from a mound in the underworld at the glorious moment of rebirth.
Others see it as a demonstration of the intensification of personal piety that occurred during the period. Most early block statues were found in temples. Because the squatting pose in Egyptian art conveys submission, block statues are thought to depict men observing temple priests as they perform rituals for the gods, like obedient members of an eternal audience.
MEDIUM
Quartzite
DATES
ca. 1836–1759 B.C.E.
DYNASTY
late Dynasty 12
PERIOD
Middle Kingdom
DIMENSIONS
26 7/8 x 16 5/16 x 18 1/8 in., 359 lb. (68.3 x 41.5 x 46 cm, 162.84kg)
(show scale)
ACCESSION NUMBER
39.602
CREDIT LINE
Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund
PROVENANCE
Archaeological provenance not yet documented, possibly from Memphis, Egypt; 1798-1799, reportedly acquired in Egypt by Napoleon Bonaparte; before 1810, reportedly gift of Napoleon Bonaparte to Josephine Bonaparte; May 29, 1814, reportedly inherited from Josephine Bonaparte by her nephew; between 1814 and 1841, provenance not yet documented; by 1841, acquired by James-Alexandre de Pourtalès, Comte de Pourtalès-Gorgier of Switzerland; March 21, 1865, purchased at Gallerie Pourtalès, “Tableaux Anciens & Modernes Dessins qui composent les Collections de feu M. le Comte de Pourtalès-Gorgier”, vol. 3, lot 4, by Lord William Tyssen-Amherst, 1st Baron Amherst of Hackney, of London, United Kingdom; June 14, 1921, purchased at Sotheby’s London, “The Amherst Collection of Egyptian and Oriental Antiquities”, lot 248, by William Randolph Hearst of California; June 6, 1939, purchased from William Randolph Hearst via Parrish-Watson by the Brummer Gallery; December 15, 1939, purchased from the Brummer Gallery (N4467) by the Brooklyn Museum.
Provenance FAQ
CAPTION
Block Statue of Senwosret-senebefny, ca. 1836–1759 B.C.E. Quartzite, 26 7/8 x 16 5/16 x 18 1/8 in., 359 lb. (68.3 x 41.5 x 46 cm, 162.84kg). Brooklyn Museum, Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund, 39.602. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 39.602_front_PS9.jpg)
IMAGE
front, 39.602_front_PS9.jpg. Brooklyn Museum photograph, 2015
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RIGHTS STATEMENT
Creative Commons-BY
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we welcome any additional information you might have.
Who is the little person between his knees?
The small woman's name is Itneferuseneb. She is likely the wife of Senwosret-senebefny who is the main subject of the block statue. The block statues form provides plenty of surface for inscriptions which is how we know who these two are.
Who is the person at the front of the block statue?
The smaller person in front is a woman named It-neferu-seneb. She was most likely married to the larger man shown seated. His name is Senwosret-senebefny. We know these people's names from the inscription on the statue. This form, called a block statue, was popular because it left a lot of room for inscriptions.
I want to know more details about this work.
Sure! This shape of statue, known as a block statue, was popular for the large amount of surface area that could be dedicated to inscriptions. In this case, and invocation is directed at the god Ptah-Sokar.
This statue was commissioned by a man named Senwosret-senebefny and the small female figure at the front is likely his wife. Her name is Itneferuseneb.
What was the meaning of the language on the block?
I don't have a full translation available, but in general, the inscription names the two figures, Senwosret-senebefy and Itneferuseneb and gives us Senwosret-senebefny's title, "the steward of the reckoning of cattle." And then goes on to address a god called Ptah-Sokar, a funerary deity.
Ok, thank you so much!
