Block Statue of Senwosret-senebefny
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About this Brooklyn Icon
The Brooklyn Museum is commemorating its 200th anniversary by spotlighting 200 standout objects in its encyclopedic collection.
This block statue depicts Senwosret-senebefny, a Steward for the Reckoning of the Cattle, and Lady of the House, Itneferuseneb, who stands in front. It was commissioned by Senwosret-senebefny’s brother to be installed in a temple, possibly at the capital, Memphis. It is a fine and well preserved example of the block statue form, a type that represents the subject seated with their knees bent and often covered by a cloak.
While Senwosret-senebefny and Itneferuseneb might not be household names, some modern owners of this statue include known emperors and newspaper barons. Napoleon Bonaparte, or one of his men, reportedly collected this statue when France invaded Egypt from 1798-1799. It was brought back to Paris, where Napoleon gifted it to his wife, Josephine. Josephine left it to her nephew, and in 1841, the statue was sold to a count from Switzerland. William Randolph Hearst eventually purchased it in 1921, and Brooklyn finally acquired the statue in 1939.
Object Label
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.
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)
Tags
Title
Block Statue of Senwosret-senebefny
Date
ca. 1836–1759 B.C.E.
Dynasty
late Dynasty 12
Period
Middle Kingdom
Geography
Place made: Egypt
Medium
Quartzite
Classification
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)
Credit Line
Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund
Accession Number
39.602
Rights
Creative Commons-BY
You may download and use Brooklyn Museum images of this three-dimensional work in accordance with a Creative Commons license. Fair use, as understood under the United States Copyright Act, may also apply. Please include caption information from this page and credit the Brooklyn Museum. If you need a high resolution file, please fill out our online application form (charges apply). For further information about copyright, we recommend resources at the United States Library of Congress, Cornell University, Copyright and Cultural Institutions: Guidelines for U.S. Libraries, Archives, and Museums, and Copyright Watch. For more information about the Museum's rights project, including how rights types are assigned, please see our blog posts on copyright. If you have any information regarding this work and rights to it, please contact copyright@brooklynmuseum.org.
Frequent Art Questions
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!
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