Art Beyond Sight: Handbook

"Block Statue of Senwosret senebefny"

Brooklyn Museum of Art, New York

The Sculpture: Block Statue of Senwosret senebefny
The Date: Dynasty 13, circa 1780 to 1640 B.C.E.
The Medium: quartzite
The Dimensions: 27 inches high by 16 5/16 inches wide by 18 1/8 inches deep or 69 by 41.5 by 46 centimeters
In the Collection of: Brooklyn Museum of Art, New York

During Dynasty 13, the quality of artistic expression in private sculpture reached a very high level. The Block Statue of Senwosret senebefny is an example of this high quality. The sculpture also gives form to developments in religious expression during this time, which we'll consider later.

We know the statue was created during Dynasty 13 because its style is consistent with the prevailing style of this dynasty. Let's consider its basic shape and appearance. The statue of Senwosret senebefny is a block statue. This type of statue shows a man seated on the ground with his knees folded and pulled up close to his body. His knees are at shoulder level, and his arms are crossed on top of his knees. You may want to try this position. It will give you a good sense of the sculpture's organization and compact form. The figure is cloaked in a garment. So, the contours of his body are visible only through the smooth surface of his garment. The statue maintains the cube like shape of the stone block. Only certain physical features such as the head, arms and feet protrude slightly. Hence the name: block statue. The sculpture stands about mid thigh to a person. It's sculpted in brown quartzite, which is a very hard, grainy stone. This material feels gritty to the touch, somewhat like sandpaper, and it was very popular in Dynasty 13. This graininess tends to soften the hard edges of detailed carving. Because of its quality and its tawny flesh like color, quartzite imparts a warm life like quality to statuary.

Before we examine the statue, let's consider its basic shape. Although the figure is sculpted from a single block, its composition consists of large geometric forms stacked one on top of the other. The figure has a massive pyramid shaped head that rests on top of a cubic body, and this cube shaped body rests on top of a rather thick square base. Here's another point to consider. The upper surface of the so called cube of the body--where the arms are crossed on the knees--actually tilts slightly downward. Think of this surface as the flat top of a box. Only this flat top tilts toward us. In the sculpture, this surface tilts slightly toward the front.

At the top center of Senwosret senebefny's head is his short, broad wig. The wig is carved with no indication of lines for hair. This treatment adds to our impression of the abstract mass of the head. the wig flares out into broad areas on either side of the round face. And below his chin is his small beard. His eyes droop slightly at the outer corners. Between his eyes is his nose. His lips are small. They also droop at the outer corners. These wearied features imitate those of Senwosret III as a Sphinx, And, his wearied expression seems to express a rather complicated, somewhat introverted, mental state. Private statuary of Dynasty 13 cultivated and developed this sense of an introverted intelligence

The composition is basically symmetrical, and the same configuration is on both sides. The base is carved out of the same block of stone as the rest of the statue the base is wider than the block statue. On all four sides, it extends beyond the cube shaped figure. These are his feet. His feet project out from the vertical surface of the cube like body. They rest upon the base. As we noted earlier, the figure sits with his feet pulled up against his thighs. Above both of his feet, there's a vertical column of inscription. The columns and rows of inscription record a funerary text and the name and titles of the man depicted. The overall design of this inscribed area creates a sort of doorway shaped frame. Within this frame, there's the figure of the woman. Her name is Itneferuseneb, and her relationship to Senwosret senebefny is not specified. She could be his mother or wife. On her head, she wears a very large heavy wig, which frames her oval face. She stands erect with her arms at her sides.

As a form, the block statue is quite strange. It is in fact derived from a physical posture that people ordinarily assume. Yet, this posture is absorbed within a system of abstract forms: the thick square base, the cube like shape of the figure's body and the pyramidal head. Frequently in these block statues, there's a highly realistic rendering of the human face that stands in contrast to the abstract forms comprising the figure's body. The result is that block statues are a particularly fine expression of the spirituality of Egyptian sculpture. Note that the realism that we see here is a general realism. In other words, the sculpture isn't a detailed representation of an actual individual, but rather it shows non ideal aspects of nature. That is to say, the figure's realism shows the possibility of age and change.

Block statues first appeared in Dynasty 12, although they may have derived from earlier forms that originated in the First Intermediate Period. The peculiarity of this block form may have something to do with religious beliefs. By this time, the cult of Osiris had spread throughout Egyptian society. Osiris was a god who died and was resurrected, and the block statue may reflect ideas associated with this cult. Here's how this symbolism may have functioned. The block statues may have served to symbolically identify the deceased person with the god Osiris. The deceased is wrapped and cloaked as though in a funeral shroud. Then he is shown with his head raised. These features connect him with Osiris because Osiris was said to have raised his head from a mound in the netherworld. And, at the moment he raised his head from the darkness, the rising sun brought him back to life. Such a statue might have belonged to a tomb or perhaps to a small memorial chapel near Osiris' great shrine at Abydos.