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Statue of the Scribe Maaniamen
Mid-15th century BC
Limestone
H 37.6 cm
Maaniamen is shown seated on the ground with his
legs pulled up to his stomach. His body is wrapped in a
cape and his hands rest on his knees. The French
Egyptologist, G. Maspero, referred to statues of this
type as ‘parcels with a head'. They are to be found only
in Egyptian art and reflect most vividly the tendency of
Egyptian craftsmen towards abstraction of form, an
awareness of the totality of the work, and a sense of the
indivisibility of the stone block from which the statue
was made. The work dates from the reign of Amenhotep
II, since the features of Maaniamen's face are similar to
those found in the pharaoh's portraits. Portraits of
private individuals similar in style to those of their
rulers are to be found in the Middle Kingdom period.
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