DOI issue:
No. 4
DOI article:Brandys, Henryk: Two Egyptian statuettes of the period of the Middle Kingdom in the National Museum in Warsaw
DOI Page / Citation link: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.17160#0103
of the reign of Se'n-Wsret III. This sculpture, the work of an excellcrit workshop, is remai-
kable for a similar to ours shape and treatment of the torso. Characteristic squat shoulders and
th thin waist are the result of changes introduccd by the Theban School. Some details of the
face are elaborated in the way similar to ours.
Our statuette, as well as other sculptures of hard stene. was surely polychromed, but the
traces of colours16 unfortunately did not last17. We may assume that as in most Egyptian poli-
shed sculptures of hard stone, the eye-balls, cye-brows and eye-lashes had been painted18. The
face itself probably was not painted19 sińce the colour of the stone was similar to the carna-
tion. The wig could be painted and the necklace could be marked with paint. According to the
opinion of the Egyptians polychrcmy enlhcned the sculptures20.
Similarities between our statuette and the cxamples, here disseussed, allow for an assumption
that it was carved during the reign of Se'n-Wsret III or Amun-em-het III, that is in the years
1887 — 1800 b. Chr. by local sculptors who werc working at Horus' Tempie or at the court of
the chief of the district in Edfu. The carclless elaboration of details and uneven surface,
the roughness of forms confirm the provincial origin of our work. Nevertheless, its artistic
expression and the effect of a nearly portrait treatment speak well for the artists working at
that time in Edfu in spite of the fact that — according to a custom gencrally accepted sińce;
the Ancient Kingdom — they followed sculpture models brought from Thebes.
2. Statuette of a standing man21 (fig. 4, 5).
Inv.: 140021 MN
Diorite, greyish black with white veins
Height 0,223 m
The head, the feet and the base are łosi; smali chipings of.
the hands, of the garment and of the little back pillar.
The big-bellied persenage is standing rigidly upright. Long hands are hanging down along'
the body being not wholly separated from it. The palms are pressed to the robe on the level
of the hips and directed toward the central point of the belly. They are wide, flattened, too1
long and not carefully modclled. The fat, hanging down breasts and the strongly protruding belly
indicate advanced age of the represented man. The long garment fitting closely to the body
is pinned under the chest and falls loosely down. On the belly it forms two crossing pleats sticking
up to the breast. Below the hips the robe falls in two strongly pointed folds along the legs.
The left leg is thrust forward as if makmg a step. At the back the statuette is supported by
a narrow pillar rounded at the top and reaching up the waist of the figurę. The whole surface
is carefully polished. There are no traces of polychromy22.
16. The fact that there arc no traces of paint is of no importance, sińce well polished sculptures in hard stone keep-
the paint very badly.
17. Cf. F.W.v.Bissing, „Zur Polychromie der altaegyptischen Skulptur," Recueil de Travaux, XX, 1928, pp. 120—124..
P. Reutcrswiird, Studien zur Polychromie der Plastik. — I: Aegyplcn, Stockholm, 1958, p.8 sq. According to this author
there were no sculptures in Egypt that were not painted except the unfinished ones and the so-called ,,Reservek6pfe"
of the reign of the IVth Dynasty. But the application of painting was very different, depending on the cru ality
of the stone and on the use of the sculpture.
18. „Enlivening" the statuę with colours was connected with cult rites. Cf. A. Moret, Lc rituel journalier da culte dilin,.
1902, p. 199 są.
19. Cf. P. Reutersward, op. cif., p. 10 sq.
20. N. de G. Davies, Rock Tombs of El Amarna, III, New York, 1925, pl. XVIII. It represents the court painter of the
Queen Tcje Jwti covering with paint the statuę of Princcss Bcketaton. The inscription runs:"... the one who enlivcns..."
21. Given by Professor K. Michałowski in 1939, it wTas hought at an antiąuity shop in Upper Egypt and it comes
from Edfu.
22. Cf. note 16 and sq.
89
kable for a similar to ours shape and treatment of the torso. Characteristic squat shoulders and
th thin waist are the result of changes introduccd by the Theban School. Some details of the
face are elaborated in the way similar to ours.
Our statuette, as well as other sculptures of hard stene. was surely polychromed, but the
traces of colours16 unfortunately did not last17. We may assume that as in most Egyptian poli-
shed sculptures of hard stone, the eye-balls, cye-brows and eye-lashes had been painted18. The
face itself probably was not painted19 sińce the colour of the stone was similar to the carna-
tion. The wig could be painted and the necklace could be marked with paint. According to the
opinion of the Egyptians polychrcmy enlhcned the sculptures20.
Similarities between our statuette and the cxamples, here disseussed, allow for an assumption
that it was carved during the reign of Se'n-Wsret III or Amun-em-het III, that is in the years
1887 — 1800 b. Chr. by local sculptors who werc working at Horus' Tempie or at the court of
the chief of the district in Edfu. The carclless elaboration of details and uneven surface,
the roughness of forms confirm the provincial origin of our work. Nevertheless, its artistic
expression and the effect of a nearly portrait treatment speak well for the artists working at
that time in Edfu in spite of the fact that — according to a custom gencrally accepted sińce;
the Ancient Kingdom — they followed sculpture models brought from Thebes.
2. Statuette of a standing man21 (fig. 4, 5).
Inv.: 140021 MN
Diorite, greyish black with white veins
Height 0,223 m
The head, the feet and the base are łosi; smali chipings of.
the hands, of the garment and of the little back pillar.
The big-bellied persenage is standing rigidly upright. Long hands are hanging down along'
the body being not wholly separated from it. The palms are pressed to the robe on the level
of the hips and directed toward the central point of the belly. They are wide, flattened, too1
long and not carefully modclled. The fat, hanging down breasts and the strongly protruding belly
indicate advanced age of the represented man. The long garment fitting closely to the body
is pinned under the chest and falls loosely down. On the belly it forms two crossing pleats sticking
up to the breast. Below the hips the robe falls in two strongly pointed folds along the legs.
The left leg is thrust forward as if makmg a step. At the back the statuette is supported by
a narrow pillar rounded at the top and reaching up the waist of the figurę. The whole surface
is carefully polished. There are no traces of polychromy22.
16. The fact that there arc no traces of paint is of no importance, sińce well polished sculptures in hard stone keep-
the paint very badly.
17. Cf. F.W.v.Bissing, „Zur Polychromie der altaegyptischen Skulptur," Recueil de Travaux, XX, 1928, pp. 120—124..
P. Reutcrswiird, Studien zur Polychromie der Plastik. — I: Aegyplcn, Stockholm, 1958, p.8 sq. According to this author
there were no sculptures in Egypt that were not painted except the unfinished ones and the so-called ,,Reservek6pfe"
of the reign of the IVth Dynasty. But the application of painting was very different, depending on the cru ality
of the stone and on the use of the sculpture.
18. „Enlivening" the statuę with colours was connected with cult rites. Cf. A. Moret, Lc rituel journalier da culte dilin,.
1902, p. 199 są.
19. Cf. P. Reutersward, op. cif., p. 10 sq.
20. N. de G. Davies, Rock Tombs of El Amarna, III, New York, 1925, pl. XVIII. It represents the court painter of the
Queen Tcje Jwti covering with paint the statuę of Princcss Bcketaton. The inscription runs:"... the one who enlivcns..."
21. Given by Professor K. Michałowski in 1939, it wTas hought at an antiąuity shop in Upper Egypt and it comes
from Edfu.
22. Cf. note 16 and sq.
89