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Early Block Statue

Egyptian, Classical, Ancient Near Eastern Art

On View: Old Kingdom to 18th Dynasty, Egyptian Galleries, 3rd Floor
Developed in the beginning of the Twelfth Dynasty, the block statue was probably the most significant and long-lasting artistic innovation of its time. The form did not prove immediately popular—only fifty-six Middle Kingdom examples are known—but in each succeeding period it became more common. By the Late Period (Twenty-sixth through Thirty-first Dynasties), block statues were the most prevalent sculptural type. Nearly one thousand examples are known.
MEDIUM Granite
GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATIONS
DATES ca. 1836-1759 B.C.E.
DYNASTY late Dynasty 12
PERIOD Middle Kingdom
DIMENSIONS 26 3/8 in. (67 cm) base: 17 1/2 x 3 3/8 x 13 3/8 in. (44.5 x 8.5 x 34 cm)  (show scale)
ACCESSION NUMBER 36.617
CREDIT LINE Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund
PROVENANCE Archaeological provenance not yet documented; by 1936, acquired by Louis Herse of Alexandria, Egypt; 1936, purchased from Louis Herse by the Brooklyn Museum.
Provenance FAQ
MUSEUM LOCATION This item is on view in Old Kingdom to 18th Dynasty, Egyptian Galleries, 3rd Floor
CAPTION Early Block Statue, ca. 1836-1759 B.C.E. Granite, 26 3/8 in. (67 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund, 36.617. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, CUR.36.617_NegA_print_bw.jpg)
IMAGE overall, CUR.36.617_NegA_print_bw.jpg. Brooklyn Museum photograph
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RIGHTS STATEMENT Creative Commons-BY
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