Summary of This Activity           Big Picture Find out what the different poses mean. Back in Time Behind the Scenes                           What do the figures’ poses tell us? Over three thousand years, ancient Egyptians developed a limited but consistent number of poses for statues. These poses included standing, sitting, and kneeling, and each meant something specific. Located in both temples and tombs, statues were thought to house the spirits of the deceased people they represented, ensuring their immortality. Egyptians believed that statues could magically see, taste, and smell the offerings of food and drink presented to them by visitors, and they could hear prayers and spells made on their behalf.                 The Primary Poses of Ancient Egyptian Statuary           Standing The standing pose is one of the oldest types of Egyptian statues, developed even before the Old Kingdom and remaining popular throughout Egyptian history. Men are shown with their left feet advanced and, usually, their fists clenched. Women are shown with both feet together or their left feet only slightly advanced; they hold flowers or other objects, or their hands rest flat at their sides.           Statue of Ity-sen Limestone Old Kingdom, Dynasty 5, circa 2500–2350 B.C. From Giza 61 x 20 1/2 x 15 3/16 in. (155 x 52 x 38.5 cm) 37.365, Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund Statuette of Lady Tuty Wood, gilded New Kingdom, Dynasty 18, reign of Amunhotep III (circa 1390–1352 B.C.) From Medinet Gurob 10 7/8 in. (25.7 cm) 54.187, Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund                 Seated Seated statues date back to before the Old Kingdom, when furniture was relatively rare and thus considered very prestigious. Throughout Egyptian history people of high status were portrayed sitting on chairs or simple blocks. The Egyptian words for “nobility” and “wealth” were both written with the same hieroglyph showing a figure seated on a chair.           Pair Statue of Nebsen and Nebet-ta Limestone, painted New Kingdom, Dynasty 18, circa 1400–1352 B.C. Probably from Dahamsha 15 ¾ x 8 9/16 x 9 1/4 in. (40 x 21.8 x 23.5 cm) 40.523, Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund King Senwosret III Granite Middle Kingdom, Dynasty 12, reign of Senwosret III (circa 1836–1818 B.C.) Possibly from Hierakonpolis 21 7/16 in. (54.5 cm) Base: 7 ½ x 13 11/16 in. (19 x 34.7 cm) 52.1, Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund                 Kneeling Since the Egyptians considered this a pose of worship and prayer, most kneeling statues were placed in temples. Kneeling statues of kings date back to the Old Kingdom, but very few were made for nonroyal people until the New Kingdom.           Kneeling Statuette of Pepy I Graywacke, alabaster, obsidian, copper Old Kingdom, Dynasty 6, reign of Pepy I, (circa 2338–2298 B.C.) Probably from Upper Egypt 6 x 1 13/16 x 3 9/16 in. (15.2 x 4.6 x 9 cm) 39.121, Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund Kneeling Statue of Senenmut Granite New Kingdom, Dynasty 18, joint reign of Hatshepsut and Thutmose III (circa 1478–1458 B.C.) From Armant 18 9/16 x 6 7/8 in. (47.2 x 17.4 cm) Base: 6 3/4 x 2 15/16 x 11 9/16 in. (17.2 x 7.5 x 29.3 cm) 67.68, Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund                 Scribe The scribe (writer) pose—seated on the ground with crossed legs—was reserved for depictions of men. A scribe is usually shown holding a papyrus roll partially spread across his lap. Ancient Egyptians valued literacy, and being shown as a scribe indicated a subject’s education and, therefore, his prestige. Introduced in the Old Kingdom, scribe statues remained popular througout Egyptian history.           Scribe Statue of Amunhotep, Son of Nebiry Limestone New Kingdom, Dynasty 18, reign of Amunhotep II (circa 1426–1400 B.C.) Said to be from Thebes 26 x 13 3/16 in. (66 x 33.5 cm) Base: 14 3/16 x 4 3/4 x 14 13/16 in. (36 x 12 x 37.6 cm) 37.29E, Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund                 Block A block statue shows a nonroyal figure—almost always male—sitting on the ground with knees up and arms folded to indicate patience, a pose still occasionally seen in Egypt today. The figure is usually shown wrapped in a cloak on which inscriptions were often carved. Block statues were introduced in the Middle Kingdom and remained popular throughout Egyptian history.           Block Statue of Senwosret-senebefny Quartzite Middle Kingdom, late Dynasty 12, 1836–1759 B.C. Provenance not known Figure only: 21 1/16 x 12 1/2 in. (53.5 x 31.8 cm) Base: 18 1/8 x 5 13/16 x 16 5/16 in. (46 x 14.8 x 41.5 cm) 39.602, Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund Block Statue of Min Graywacke New Kingdom, Dynasty 18, reign of Hatshepsut or Thutmose III (circa 1479–1425 B.C.) Possibly from Thebes 9 3/16 in. (23.3 cm) 37.249E, Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund                 Shawabti Small funerary statuettes called shawabtis (in some periods called shabtis or ushabtis) were introduced in the Middle Kingdom. These mummiform (shrouded), cross-armed figures represent deceased persons and were intended to do agricultural work in place of those persons in the afterlife—like little clones.           Shawabti of Lady Sati Faience New Kingdom, Dynasty 18, reign of Amunhotep III (circa 1390–1352 B.C.) Reportedly from Saqqara 9 13/16 in. (25 cm) 37.124E, Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund Shawabti of the Man Maya Wood with traces of paint and glass inlays New Kingdom, Dynasty 18, reign of Amunhotep III (circa 1390–1352 B.C.) Provenance not known 16 x 3 9/16 x 5 1/2 in. (40.7 x 9 x 14 cm) 86.226.21, Gift of the Ernest Erickson Foundation, Inc.

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