Returned to lender The Met accepts temporary loans of art both for short-term exhibitions and for long-term display in its galleries.
Shrouded Royal Statue, Standing
Middle Kingdom
Not on view
This object is not part of The Met collection. It was in the Museum for a special exhibition and has been returned to the lender.
Like the earlier statue exhibited in the entrance gallery, this sculpture was one of a group that must have lined the approach to a temple. Here, the sculptor has created a true masterpiece with an impressive interplay between the fully alive body and its wrappings. Particularly emphasized are the broad shoulders and buttocks, powerful hands, and intricately rendered knees. The body enveloped by a linen shroud and the now largely missing slender beard characterized the king as a divine protector of a sacred space.
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