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King Senwosret III

Egyptian, Classical, Ancient Near Eastern Art

On View: Old Kingdom to 18th Dynasty, Egyptian Galleries, 3rd Floor
A masterpiece of Middle Kingdom royal sculpture, this statue of the Twelfth Dynasty king Senwosret III encapsulates one basic theme of this installation: the interaction between permanence and change. By the time an artist carved this piece, the seated pose had been part of Egyptian tradition for more than eight hundred years; most of the elements of the costume had been around even longer. However, the style of carving—note Senwosret’s expressive face—had been in vogue for less than a generation.
MEDIUM Granite
  • Possible Place Collected: Hierakonpolis, Egypt
  • DATES ca. 1836-1818 B.C.E.
    DYNASTY Dynasty 12
    PERIOD Middle Kingdom
    DIMENSIONS 21 7/16 x 7 1/2 x 13 11/16 in. (54.5 x 19 x 34.7 cm)  (show scale)
    SIGNATURE
    ACCESSION NUMBER 52.1
    CREDIT LINE Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund
    PROVENANCE Archaeological provenance not yet documented, probably Medamud or Hierakonpolis, Egypt; before 1951, acquired by Moharreb Todrous of Luxor, Egypt; before 1951, inherited from Moharreb Todrous by his eldest daughter; 1951, purchased from eldest daughter by Jacques Matossian of Alexandria, Egypt; before 1952, acquired from Jacques Matossian by Marguerite Mallon; January 1952, purchased from Marguerite Mallon by the Brooklyn Museum.
    Provenance FAQ
    MUSEUM LOCATION This item is on view in Old Kingdom to 18th Dynasty, Egyptian Galleries, 3rd Floor
    CAPTION King Senwosret III, ca. 1836-1818 B.C.E. Granite, 21 7/16 x 7 1/2 x 13 11/16 in. (54.5 x 19 x 34.7 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund, 52.1. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 52.1_front_PS2.jpg)
    IMAGE front, 52.1_front_PS2.jpg. Brooklyn Museum photograph, 2009
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    RIGHTS STATEMENT Creative Commons-BY
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